Cold Turkey
by dave-d
Summary: Kaname has had enough. She gives Sousuke an ultimatum. Still, people need to be careful of what they ask for. They may get it.
1. Talking Turkey

"That's the last straw," Kaname mumbled.

She watched as pots and pans---_all full of food_---came flying out of the opening in the cafeteria wall.

Most people were watching in disbelief. Not Kaname, however. She had seen more than her share of bizarre, unbelievable, and incomprehensible things, all thanks to a certain scar-faced student.

It had all started innocently enough.

_Lunch had promised to be pleasant. _

Kaname, Ren, and Kyouko had each cooked up one item to bring in. Ryo, Maya, and Mizuki had waited in line to buy a few items that looked close to being edible. Sharing the food, they became quickly engrossed in gossip.

They even sat and became somewhat philosophical, wondering where they would all be five years from then.

Sousuke, as usual, sat like the Sphinx, a never-moving stone statue with its gaze placed firmly on Kaname's table.

The Sphinx had managed to say _'Thank you' _……… but nothing more……… when Kaname brought over a plate for him too. But, his gratitude was quite evident: he tossed aside his protein bar and actually managed to take a number of bites.

_That had been enough to make Kaname smile._

Sometimes a joke can break the mood, make a stale situation into something lively or vibrant. Other times, a joke can kill the mood, or makes things divisive or defensive. That afternoon, a joke lit the fuse that led to a veritable powder keg.

"I... I... I..." One boy lurched to his feet. "I think they're trying to _p---p---p---_poison us." He staggered about, bumping into his fellow students and knocking trays to the floor.

"The _t... t... _tempura." With that, he folded up like the dying villain in a bad black and white movie. He lay unmoving for minutes. Some people took the bait……… almost certain it was a joke…….. and went over to shake the boy with no response.

Before the girls knew what happened, a blur went past and the tempura was gone. Maya's hand was left suspended over an empty part of the table.

Not long thereafter, a number of loud _'Crashes' _and _'Bangs' _sounded in the bowels of the food preparation area.

Soon enough, the _'Time of the flying pots' _began.

Sousuke **was** getting better: when he was satisfied that the food was safe…….. each and every variety…….. he returned to Kaname's table. He brought a fresh plate of tempura.

"You may all eat in safety and strictest confidence," he said.

_Kaname was getting better, too. _

A watchful Kyouko…….. busy taking pictures…….. might beg to differ. There was no halisen symphony. No knees to the groin. Soususke was not flung across the room by his neck.

"Why... thank... you... so... very... much..." Kaname spat out, pushing a breaded piece of food into Sousuke's mouth with each word.

"_**JUST WHAT WERE YOU THINKING???**"_

"_Kmrmrmnmnm_…(gulp)…Kaname, I……..." Sousuke never managed to finish what he had intended to say.

The other Jindai students looked on.

_It was like a living soap opera._

"Never mind. I know the answer, You _WEREN'T _thinking!" Kaname's anger was the result of pent-up feelings. It had been a rather _'Sousukesque' _week, similar to the dark days that followed the young soldier's arrival at the school. "You were reacting. _Badly." _

She tossed her hair and left.

_Sousuke, handed a mop and a rather large shovel, was unable to follow._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x **

The last straw.

_'The straw that broke the camel's back.' _

That saying was attributed to Charles Dickens in his story '**Dombey and Son**,' Chapter 2.

'_As the last straw breaks the laden camel's back' _was written to point out the fact that there is a limit to everyone's endurance. Everyone has his or her own breaking point.

It wasn't a new observation.

_Especially not for Kaname. _

Dickens may well have had his inspiration from a much earlier proverb recorded by Thomas Fuller in his '**Gnomologia**' :

'_Tis the last feather that breaks the horse's back.'_

Kaname was neither camel nor horse. Sousuke's escapades were not as light as a feather, nor were they a practical as straw.

_Just the same, a boundary had been crossed._

Maybe it was simply because she had been ravishingly hungry.…….. or because she had been having an exceptionally pleasant time with friends.…….. or since she had been uncharacteristically excited and concerned about her possible future.

Perhaps it was due to events earlier in the week.

_Or, it might have been the overall accumulation of countless deeds._

Her jaw set, Kaname took a cone-shaped paper cup and filled it with water from a large glass cooler. About to drink it, she changed her mind. She poured it over her head, shivering as the cold liquid ran down her neck. Shaking the water out of her hair, she tried to control her breathing.

Yes, the event with the visiting soldiers on career day had made her angry.

The visitors were veterans who had taken time from their busy schedules to speak to the class. The meeting had been akin to a recruiting drive, but that was understandable. What was a mystery was why Sousuke felt it was necessary to correct each and every misstatement they made.

_It seemed that every other word out of their mouths was wrong somehow._

The new mandatory self-defense course had not been a ray of sunshine either.

During the inaugural class, Sousuke had walked by the gym just as the girls were being shown some simple but effective moves by the instructor. Naturally, the man looked large and imposing. Of course, he had chosen Kaname as his pretend victim.

The hole in the gym wall wouldn't take too long to repair.

_The instructor would be in the hospital for a few days longer._

Memories of the class picnic had Kaname reaching for another cup of water. She would drink that one. Her throat felt dry.

It had been a marvelous day. There were blossoms everywhere. The view had been simply breath-taking. Everyone had looked forward to the excursion: three straight weeks of bad weather had put a wet blanket over everybody's spirit.

"Kaname, watch out!"

_Those words echoed in her mind. _

Sousuke had yelled what he did when a rather large wasp landed on a muffin she was about to bite. Kaname could have simply blown on the venomous insect, or brushed it away. Sousuke, of course, had different plans.

Kaname flexed her hand.

It was still somewhat sore.

Sousuke had sent the wasp to oblivion……… and had blown the muffin into and expanding cloud of crumbs……… with a well-placed rubber bullet.

_That would have been bad enough_.

After rebounding painfully off of Kaname's hand, the stray shot had gone on to hit two other people. The teacher spilled an entire pitcher of punch she was pouring. Her white dress bore an eerie resemblance to the Japanese flag.

Three girls had been huddled together, marveling at the hyacinths in a koi pond. When one was struck in the buttock, she fell in, knocking her companions in as well.

Those otaku episodes had been enough on their own. But, there was another instance that weighed heavily on her mind.

It really hadn't been that big a thing, but it touched on a sensitive area: Kaname's need to achieve, and her desire for approval and attention.

She had studied hard.

She had gone the extra mile, digging up more reference than were necessary.

She Had even dug up some comparisons to contemporary literature.

The assignment had been the first dozen books of '**The Iliad**.' Homer's book was tedious reading, with archaic turns of phrase and countless references to gods, heroes, kings, and what not. Kaname had distilled the underlying theme: the tales were about the wrath of Achilles arising from an affront to his honor by the hubris of Agamemnon.

It was also about many other things, both human and divine.

_Everyone was certain to be impressed by her insights._

Achilles. Agamemnon. Chryseis. Zeus. Odysseus. Hera. Hephaestus. Thetis. The Muses. Menelaus. Helen. Priam. Paris. Aphrodite. The list of names went on and on and on. But, she had them all organized, with their significance documented.

_Kaname knew more about Greeks, Trojans, and gods than she ever wanted to._

During her recital, Sousuke had brought up a parallel. He had meant it as an illustrative point, and had actually complimented her on her presentation up to that point. Kaname felt as if she was going to burst: the praise had her blushing.

At first, the interruption seemed welcome, the gift of divinity. But, the mood of the gods is often capricious, and their gifts often carried a subtle sting.

"The '**Shahnameh**' is one of the definitive classics in world literature," Sousuke had said. "It was written by Ferdowsi around 1000 AD, and is essentially a compilation of old Iranian stories, fables, and historical facts. It too tells of ancient heroes. Many have thought of it as the Persian **Iliad**."

That wouldn't have been so bad.

Unfortunately, Shinji wanted to know something about the heroes in the Shahnameh. Other boys spoke up, asking for Sousuke to tell them more.

_They totally ignored the fact that Kaname wasn't finished yet._

His mind focused on something with military connotations, Sousuke automatically complied.

"Rustam, or Rostam, the son of Zal, was born with grey hair. At the age of ten, he was present when the white elephant of the shah broke loose. He killed it with a strike to its head by his club." He went on to detail the hero's battles with the _White Demon_, explaining how it had Oedipal connotations. He spoke about the valiant warrior's fight with the _Deevs_. In great detail he described one of Rustam's confrontations with dragons. Feeling a certain kinship with the literary figure, he even spoke some verse:

"**_Rostam is the scourge of the base, _**

Not for him were pleasures meant;

Rare are his feasts and holidays,

His garden is the desert place,

The battlefield his tournament.

_x x x x x  
_  
**_"There the sword of Rostam cleaves _**

Not the armour of jousting knights,

But the skulls of dragons and Deevs;

Nor shall Rostam, as he believes,

Ever be quit of the foes he fights.

_x x x x x _

**"Cups of wine and wreaths of rose,**

**Gardens where cool arbours stand,**

**Fortune gave such gifts as those**

**Not to Rostam, but hurtling foes,**

**Strife, and a warrior's heart and hand."**

Kaname was too angry to see the parallel that Sousuke made with those words.

He was no longer comparing the great Persian work to the **Iliad**. He was doing something that she had long wanted to see him do: in his own way: he was opening his heart.

The verse could easily have been written to describe a young warrior, gun in hand, never knowing anything more than battle and danger.

Kaname had composed herself.

There had been no shouts of 'Moron,' 'Jerk,' or 'Big Idiot.'

The halisen rested peacefully in her bag.

Not a word was said to Sousuke.

When she was able to resume her presentation, all of her enthusiasm had been leeched away.

_She felt little joy when the teacher gave her the highest compliment_.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Their roles were reversed, this afternoon.

Kaname was trailing Sousuke home. He had been forced to stay for detention after the cafeteria incident.

She waited for him in seclusion, wanting to speak her mind when he reached some secluded place away from the other students.

"Sousuke!" There was steel in her voice. Her anger was at ebb tide. Her determination swept strongly across the shore.

"Kaname?" Sousuke turned, a neutral expression on his face. "It is good that you waited. I shall be able to protect you now. I am pleased that you took an active role in your own safety!"

_"Stow it!!!" _A touch of anger. Sousuke had that effect. Kaname's efforts were commendable.

"Are we going on a journey, Kaname?" Sousuke became ultra-alert. "Have you discovered some unforeseen danger that makes a getaway necessary?"

"Oooooooh...... _SOUSUKE!!!" _Unexpected waves of anger washed in, collapsing a castle of calmness she had worked so hard to construct.

"Kaname?" Sousuke had his pistol out. A pair of binoculars were at his eyes as he surveyed the surroundings.

"I meant _'enough with the military crap.' _Enough already!!!" She stood with her hands on her shoulders, paying no attention to the optical device she had swatted out of Sousuke's hand.

"Crap, Kaname? I do _not _consider your safety to be excretory matter." Sousuke looked puzzled.

Even that matter-of-fact reply had the power to push Kaname past the breaking point.

The camel had it easy.

_There are worse things than a broken back._

"_C-r-a-p_, Sousuke!" Kaname wasn't usually one for coarse language, but the situation called for it. "Have you ever heard the saying, _'too much of a good thing?'_"

"Yes, Kaname." For a moment, he was pleased, thinking that Kaname saw protection as a good thing.

He fully realized that he sometimes took things too far. It was a by-product of his early life.

_Those who didn't take things too far often ended up too dead._

"Well, your trying to save me from every possible imaginary threat is TOO MUCH OF A _BAD_ THING!!!" Spit flew as the blue-haired girl spoke forcefully.

Even Sousuke should get the point, right?

"I see. There is another saying. _'Better safe than sorry.'_" To Sousuke, only one thing mattered: success at his mission.

There was a personal issue as well: Kaname must be kept safe at all cost.

"Sayings only count for so much, Sousuke." Kaname's voice had dropped a number of octaves. Her shoulders had a noticeable droop. For a moment, she looked like a young lamb, lost and alone in a vast meadow.

"You make me safe, but all I feel is sorry. I'd rather live in constant danger, enjoying the things every other teenage girl enjoys. What joy can I find in misadventure after misadventure? Am I going to wake up some day, realizing that the most wonderful days of my life have passed me by, wasted?"

Sousuke remained silent.

He tried to put himself in Kaname's shoes, but his life was too different now, and had been incomparable earlier.

There were tears running down Kaname's face. She didn't wipe them away.

Would Sousuke be moved by her sorrow?

Could he see tears as anything more than a physiologic response.

_Had he seen the tears of so many tragic victims, that they lost all meaning to him?_

"What is it that you are asking of me, Kaname?" Intelligence is necessary for any mission.

But, there was something more. Sousuke did indeed have a heart, wrapped in armor plating as it was.

Kaname's mention of the best days of one's life had touched something. He had heard other people refer to childhood in that manner. His own childhood was something no one would wish for.

"Cold turkey, Sousuke. _Cold turkey." _Kaname sniffed, then wiped her face with a handkerchief.

"Kaname? You are hungry?" Sousuke looked perplexed. He thought a moment. Sometimes people with Depression have a change in appetite.

"_No, _Sousuke!" Kaname stamped her foot.

"May I see your arms, Kaname? Have you become an addict? There are better ways to deal with problems." Sousuke had heard the term used in connection with Heroin users.

It meant sudden and complete withdrawal from narcotics, perhaps because the bumps on an addict's skin could come to resemble those on an uncooked turkey.

"God, how can you be _SO_ dense?" Kaname should have known better.

She should have spoken without any ambiguous references.

But, **everybody** knew that _'going cold turkey' _meant that a person promised a complete avoidance of some habitual activity.

"It means staying completely away from something, you big idiot!"

It also meant, in a more antiquated sense, to do something without preparation or warning. Without mincing words. Like grabbing cold turkey to eat, rather than cooking a meal.

_Unbeknownst to Sousuke, his goose had long since been cooked. _

Kaname acted without warning. The halisen had Sousuke sitting in the middle of the alley, rubbing his jaw.

"That hurt, Kaname."

"It was _supposed_ to, Sousuke. I don't have time to go chasing my own tail with someone so utterly clueless. I need you to listen. Then, I need your answer. You don't realize just what is as stake yet. When you do, I hope you _think_ before you answer!" Kaname was angry enough to take some extreme steps.

"I shall listen, Kaname."

"Thank you-u-u," she drawled sarcastically. "I want you to go Cold Turkey with military things, Sousuke. That means abstinence in the things you _do_ and the things you _say_. That also means restrictions in the things that you _carry with you_." She stopped, letting that much sink in.

"Kaname?"

"First, you will carry no weapons..."

"But, Kaname. If..."

"**SOUSUKE!!!**" Kaname's eyes flashed. "Do I have to mention up front what is at stake? Or will you allow me the courtesy of getting a word or two out. _Geez. _Why do I keep hoping for good manners from a mechanical military misfit?"

"I do not know, Kaname."

"**_GRRRR_**...."

That had been a rhetorical question.

Be at peace, Kaname.

Think 'tranquility.'

"Listen up soldier! It will be the last martial thing you do, if you know what's good for you...and _me_." The last words came out in a whisper.

"I shall not speak again until ordered, Kaname."

"**SOUSUKE!**" She shook her head. No one said this would be easy.

_But, the payoff would be worth the efforts made._

"We will not speak about 'orders' again. Instead, you will think in terms of requests and suggestions. Is…….. that……… clear?"

"Affirmative."

"Good. _Finally. _No weapons, Sousuke. _No_ exceptions. That also means that you will not construct any form of weapon from the materials around you. None. Nada. Zilch. Are you still with me?" This felt good. Kaname felt as if she might once again be in charge of her own destiny.

"Yes."

"Excellent. Splendid. It also means that you will _not_ attack anyone, _no matter what. _There will be no offensive actions. There will be no defensive actions. **_NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS! _**" She brushed her hair out of her face. "Do I have to go into more detail, Sousuke?"

"Negative."

"Marvelous. Wonderful. It also means an absence of verbal violence. No threats. No warnings. No promises of things to come. Not a one. _Regardless of the situation. _Is that much understood?" Kaname had thought this all through, waiting for Sousuke.

"Yes."

"Fine. Super. You will purge your talk of all things military. When you are at school. When you are within sight of me, elsewhere. Even in your sleep, if you don't want to get into any bad habits. No Rustam. No Persian _this_ or Macedonian _that_. No ancient battles. No modern weapons systems . _None of that_. And, you will make it a point to practice courtesy and consideration to people who are speaking." She should not have embellished there at the end.

"I see. But, courtesy is a big part of military organizations."

"You must have been absent for _that_ training, then!" Kaname groused. "Courtesy is a part of every day life. It doesn't mean simply _not killing someone _who looks suspicious. It means taking other people's feelings in consideration. I hope that is not all Greek to you, Sousuke."

"I shall do my best, Kaname!"

_How many times had he said something to that effect before?_

"Great. So you will do as I asked?" Her hopes were high. This could be so **perfect**!

"No." That single word hit like an axe to a tree, a stake in a vampire's heart. "I have a mission, Kaname. I am expected to follow it. It is in your better interest."

Kaname stood gasping for air, like a fish out of water.

"I doubt that Captain Tesstarossa or Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin would go along with such restrictions. What purpose would I serve, then? They would pull me back in an instant. It would mean battle again."

Kaname straightened her clothing. She had gotten too far ahead of herself. Sousuke's answer was quite appropriate, even if it did go contrary to her wishes.

_There was thinking to do, fast._

"I understand that Sousuke. Unless we find some compromise, your mission here will be finished." Those were hard words. Despite everything negative that Sousuke had brought into her life, she did _not_ want to see him go.

This would be a terrible risk she was about to take.

But, sometimes progress requires people to put themselves…… or their hearts…… in danger.

"Kaname?"

"I'm fed up, Sousuke. I can't take it any more. If I have to, I will call that Captain and make an ultimatum. If you don't get any better... if my life doesn't get more pleasant... _I_ will ask to have you removed from this mission." Kaname stopped to catch her breath.

_Despite an attempt to remain calm, that had all come out in a rush._

"I will take my chances with another operative, if I must. I will even risk going about my life on my own, Whispered be damned. If Tessa won't listen, I will threaten to tell the military…….. and the media…….. everything I know about Mithril." There was no sound of artifice in her voice whatsoever.

Now it was Sousuke's turn to imitate that fish.

"B-B-But, Kaname!" The full weight of her words struck him like a ton of bricks. He would need to leave school. He would return to the full combat rotation.

_He would likely never see Kaname again._

No 'buts,' Sousuke. You find a viable alternative, or I call Tessa." Kaname had her fingers crossed.

Sousuke spent time in thought. Kaname walked away fro a while, brainstorming on her own. They both arrived at similar conclusions.

"A short period, Kaname?" Sousuke could do that much. No word need reach his commanders.

"That's just what I thought, Sousuke." Kaname's smile lit up her face like fireworks. "One week. _To the minute_. Following every rule to the letter. It might teach you enough restraint that I feel comfortable allowing you to carry weapons again."

"Affirmative."


	2. Kaname's Box

It was going to be a long week for Sousuke.

Had his and Kaname's agreement been kept a secret, things would have gone much better, no doubt.

But, Kaname told _everyone. _Over the loudspeaker, no less. She wanted to make certain Sousuke couldn't sneak any otaku acts in under the radar. There would be a school full of front line observers. Of course, her announcement also served to wave a red flag in front of the eyes of a whole herd of bulls.

_A lot of people had gripes with Sousuke. _

No small number held grudges. Kaname couldn't have set him up any worse if she had strapped a giant bulls-eye to his back and given everybody a gun.

Sousuke, naturally, did not enjoy his new found attention. But, he was _never_ fond of attention.

At first, Kaname was beside herself with glee. Sousuke had brought so much stress and disruption into peoples' lives. It was only fair that he got a taste of it in return. After all, it was only for a week.

_If Sousuke could survive that much time stranded in the wilderness, he shouldn't have much difficulty coping with a little hazing.  
_  
Furthermore, Kaname was now more of a celebrity than ever before. She was everybody's new best friend. She was the Delilah to Sousuke's Samson. There was only one thing Kaname hadn't thought of: a ticket system. Everyone rushed to see who could sink their claws into Sousuke first. It caused no small numbers of squabbles and hard feelings amongst the hopefuls.

Sousuke, of course, had his share of friends and supporters. But, they wisely chose to lay low, rather than risk being tarred with the same brush.

Had they known something that Kaname happened upon, the judge, jury, and executioners might have reigned in their zest and zeal.

_Someday, they would receive the bill for their apparent gift._

"Sousuke, what are you writing down?" Kaname was very suspicious of anything Sousuke might do this week.

"Notes, Kaname." Sousuke didn't look up.

"What _kind_ of notes? Something you just remembered, but forgot to write down in History class." Kaname knew that he did that on occasion.

"Negative."

"_Well?" _She began tapping the halisen against her leg, faster and harder.

"Kaname?"

"**WHAT**... **ARE**... **YOU**... **WRITING**... **DOWN**?" Kaname's rising voice caused a number of people to turn and look at her.

"Names, Kaname. Names. Dates. Times. And occurrences."

"Here. Let _me_ see that. Time for a _'Kaname Ordained Search.'_" She grabbed the notepad away from him.

Kaname flipped through the pages.

_The purpose of the note pad was all too obvious._

"Sousuke, I thought I told you _'NO OTAKU STUFF.'_" She brought the notebook crashing down upon his head. "I told you, you could _not_ use threats of revenge, warnings, or anything like that!"

"I have not, Kaname. I have not mentioned to anyone what I am doing."

"Then what..." Kaname was puzzled.

"I am simply taking notes, Kaname. That is _not_ against the rules. I will later check it twice. It merely records who has been naughty and who has been nice." He paused, thinking. "Everyone on my list so far has been naughty."

"But _why_, Sousuke?" Kaname had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"The week will end, Kaname."

That simple statement of truth sent shivers up and down Kaname's spine.

_What had she done? _

Sousuke was usually the one who brought up references of history, myth, or legend. Now it was Kaname's turn to think along those lines:

_At one time the only mortals on the earth were men. Prometheus had made them, Athena had breathed life into them. The chief god Zeus did NOT care for them._

Kaname smiled. She could only wonder what Zeus would have thought of Sousuke.

_One day Prometheus was trying to solve a quarrel that was raging between the gods and the men. At a festival, the men were going to sacrifice a bull for the first time. They asked him which parts of the bull should be offered to the gods and which should be eaten by men. Prometheus decided to play a trick on Zeus. _

_He killed the bull, skinned it and butchered it. He split it into two portions: in one he put the best, lean meat. In the second he put bones followed by a thick layer of fat. Prometheus offered both to Zeus to take his choice. Zeus looked at both portions, one looked good but was rather on the small side, the other was much larger and covered in a layer of fat which Zeus thought must cover the best, tastiest portion of meat. He chose that one. When Zeus realized that he had been tricked, he was furious. He took fire away from man so that they could never cook their meat or feel warm again. _

_Prometheus reacted immediately, flying to the Isle of Lemnos, where he knew the smith Hephaestus had fire. He carried a burning torch back to man. Zeus was enraged. He swore vengeance and started making an evil plan. _

_Zeus set Hephaestos the task of creating a clay woman with a human voice. Hephaestos did as he was instructed and created a masterpiece. Athena, goddess of wisdom and Zeus' daughter, breathed life into it. She taught the woman how to weave and clothed her. Aphrodite the goddess of love made her beautiful. The god Hermes taught her to charm and deceive. _

_Zeus was pleased with what he saw, but he had made her as a trap. He named the woman Pandora and sent her as a gift to Epimetheus. _

Kaname shook her head.

Epimetheus had been warned by his brother Prometheus that he should _never_ accept gifts from Zeus because there would always be a catch.

Kaname should have been thinking along the same lines.

Any promise from Sousuke could have some consequence she never considered.

_Epimetheus ignored his brother's warning, fell in love with Pandora, and married her. _

_Zeus, pleased that his trap was working gave Pandora a wedding gift of a beautiful box. There was one condition however...that was that she never opened the box. _

_For a while they were very happy. Pandora often wondered what was in the box but she was never left alone, so she never opened it. Gradually, over time, she began to wonder more and more about what was in the box. She could not understand why someone would send her a box if she could not see what was in it. It became very important to find out what was hidden there. _

_Finally she could stand it no longer. One daywhen everyone was outshe crept up to the box, took the huge key, fitted it carefully into the lock and turned it. _

_She swung up the lid to peep inside, but before she realised it, the room was filled with terrible things: disease, despair, malice, greed, old age, death, hatred, violence, cruelty and war. She slammed the lid down and turned the key again...keeping only the spirit of hope inside._

Yes. Hope.

All that Kaname could do was hope.


	3. Gangs, Girls, and Garbage

**MONDAY**

The morning started off like any other day.

Sousuke followed Kaname to school.

_The first salvo came from an unsuspected source._

"I will be assigning the homework projects for each class. Please have a piece of paper and a pencil handy." The history teacher had rotated into home room responsibility that morning.

The balding curmudgeon of a man assigned the students separate exercises from each of their different courses, following an experimental educational protocol instituted by the school board.

"Mr. Sagara. As you have shown an _over-abundance _of historical knowledge...."

A number of students snickered at that while others frowned.

"...You will be excused from doing any homework for History."

_The grumbling in the class made it clear that no one liked that caveat._

"Instead, you have **extra** assignments in Math, Science, English, and Cultural Studies. Perhaps with sufficient effort, you can raise your level of expertise in _those_ areas as well."

It looked as if at least one of the teachers was going to get into the game. _That was taking school spirit a little too far_, Kaname thought. But, she had to admit, in the long run it would actually be for Sousuke's own good.

A number of people in the class applauded.

"Way to go, Einstein." One of the rugby players from the newly formed squad handed an apple to Sousuke. "I was going to give it to the teacher. Eat up. I have a feeling it may be the last good meal you get this week."

Sousuke took a bite of the offered fruit, then stopped when everyone on the rugby squad started laughing.

"It's OK, man. Munch on! The apple's fine. I even washed it." The boy enthusiastically nodded his head.

Sousuke took another bite.

"Yeh……… in the urinal!!!" Another rugby player couldn't keep the secret any longer. It was alright: the damage had already been done.

The class exploded in laughter.

The teacher looked relieved. He really liked apples.

"I see. I have eaten much worse in Afghanistan. The apple will still maintain its nutritive value. However, I must return this fruit." He threw it to the boy who had given it to him.

"Huh?" The boy who gave Sousuke the apple had not expected such a calm response form Sousuke.

"No doubt, as you have christened it in your own bodily fluids, your gesture has some form of sexual significance. I must refuse. I have no such feelings for males." Sousuke's comment led to stunned silence.

"Or _women_, apparently." Kaname groused under her breath.

Despite her grumbling, she had begun to worry about Sousuke. It had never been her intention to see him be cruelly abused.

Still, maybe a little hazing would do him good. The other students might even begin to see him as one of them.

"**YOU TAKE THAT BACK, YOU SON OF A BITCH....**"

The rugby player knocked over his desk in an effort to get at Sousuke.

_His plan had backfired._

"Look how eager he is to get his hands on Sousuke!" Someone from a rival sports club yelled out.

Catcalls followed.

The rumors would be all about the school by mid-afternoon.

The entire rugby squad growled.

_Sousuke's time would come._

Kaname changed her mind. She wondered if Sousuke would even live through an entire week.

"Mr. Sagara. We cannot have this kind of disruption in class. If you please……… take your desk and move it to the rear corner. I shall note the appropriate number of demerits." The teacher smiled. "At least you have not blown up anyone this morning.

Sousuke did as he was told. He was not taken aback. This was nothing for someone who had survived the cruel jokes of the mujahadeen as a child.

Kaname passed him a note.

"_I'm sorry, Sousuke," _it read.

Sousuke sent one back. _"It is not a problem."_

The teacher intercepted the second note. "I'm afraid it **is** a problem, Mr. Sagara. I would have thought you had outgrown this kind of childishness before now." The teacher wrote something down on a pad of paper. "Today, after lunch, you will be responsible for cleaning the blackboard erasers in each class room."

_The day didn't get any better for Sousuke after that._

He found gum on his chair, the hard way.

Someone had stolen raw liver from the kitchen and placed it in his desk.

His protein bars were replaced with dog biscuits.

The latch on his school bag was glued tight with epoxy.

Legs seemed to come out of nowhere in the hallway.

Between classes, the teachers found him hanging out of an upper window, mouth taped, arms and legs bound together.

Kaname spoke to him in the hallway. "Sousuke, I think it's time to modify the bet. You can do whatever is necessary to defend yourself." Her conscious was beginning to bother her. She had been so happy, so impressed with herself.

_She failed to think things all of the way through._

"No, Kaname. Your concern does you credit. It is good to learn what kind of person you are, when the chance presents itself." Sousuke pulled the last piece of adhesive tape off of his arm.

Kaname blushed.

She liked hearing that, but was in no mood to accept it.

_At that moment, she didn't think it was right for anyone to compliment her._

"Don't be stupid, Sousuke. This isn't some macho show-off thing, you know. You don't have to go proving yourself to me! **_HMMPPFF!!_**"

Boys could be so stupid.

"You misunderstand, Kaname. I have _already _proven myself to you. You are still alive." That statement hit Kaname like a pole-axe. "It is a matter of honor. I made a promise. I will _keep_ that promise. Under any and all circumstances. If you did not want me to make that promise, you should not have tried to extract it from me."

As Sousuke stood there, a group of rugby players emptied a garbage can filled with water over his head. They did not bother to remove the garbage first. A slimy banana peel sat on the young operative's head like a helmet.

"OK, Sousuke." Kaname sighed. "I hope you know what you are getting yourself into."

She couldn't help herself. Kaname found herself impressed by Sousuke's character.

Strolling away, she smiled. He looked so funny with that peel draped over his hair.

"I had little choice, Kaname. I did not want to be ordered away."

Kaname stopped in mid step, stumbling against the wall. She cursed her reaction. What was the big deal? He had implied as much the other day when she forced him into the promise.

She told her heart to stop beating so fast.

When Kaname went to her locker and opened it, an odd colored envelope fell to the ground. She left it there for a minute, checking her watch.

'_Usually about..... NOW .....Sousuke would have knocked me aside and grabbed the envelope. Then it would be exploded, burned, X-rayed, or something'  
_  
Sousuke just stood there. There were beads of sweat beginning to form at his temples.

Kaname decided to have some fun.

"Hmmm..... This smells really _funny_.... sort of like gunpowder. No, that's silly..."

Sousuke took a step-and-a-half, then stopped. His eyes were big. His throat moved as he swallowed repeatedly.

"O, my mistake" Kaname said. "I just smelled the residue of the _last_ letter you blew up in my locker. Wait. There's a strange smear on this. _You'd_ probably think it's poison or something. **OWWW**..... I cut my finger on it. A razor blade.…….. I...……."

Kaname crumpled to the ground.

"Kaname!" Sousuke rushed to her side. "Kaname, speak to me. Please. I need for you to describe the symptoms." He shook her.

"**_GOTCHA!!!_** " Kaname opened her eyes. She showed Sousuke the letter. It was just a note from some boy interested in her.

There was no razor and no foreign substance.

"We haven't found a dangerous letter yet, _have_ we Sousuke?"

Sousuke sat a moment after Kaname left.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The lunch ladies wasted no time in getting back at Sousuke.

While he was eating one of the dog biscuits……… _they did after all contain an impressive assortment of vitamins and minerals_……… the vengeful women upended a huge vat of sesame sauce over him.

It would take them and the janitor the better half of an afternoon to clean up the mess; but, they certainly were not complaining. That little episode ought to brighten their lives for a good while, and give them tales to tell until the day they each retired.

_Kaname began to see the other side of the bet. _

Shinji and a group of other boys were discussing their favorite war novels and movies. It was a prime chance for Sousuke to be one of the boys, to make new friends.

Instead, the young soldier sat silently, responding only to questions that had nothing to do with warfare or the military. He didn't really seem like himself. It was like watching a seal in someone's bath tub, or an eagle kept in a canary's cage.

Suddenly, things got ugly.

Tempers flared at a pair of tables near the center of the room.. There was bad blood between a number of street gangs, the members of which attended Jindai High.

Chairs were thrown. Punches, too. Food was flung over combatants and bystanders alike. Before security could be called, knives were drawn.

One boy ended up with a shallow cut across his ribs. The blood seeped quickly into the porous fabric of his sweatshirt.

As security led one boy away……… and the teachers escorted the other boy to an awaiting ambulance……… Kaname felt the tight squeeze of guilt around her heart.

That was not the first time that violence had threatened to erupt in school. In the past, however, Sousuke had been very quick to defuse matters.

He was usually quite equitable---if no one listened, he would knock _both_ unruly students out with his taser. As Sousuke served a useful purpose, the school officials overlooked _that _particular weapon.

"_Great job_, Sagara!" One of the gang member's friends said sarcastically as he walked by quiet boy.

"You were informed of my pledge," Sousuke answered, unconcerned. "In fact, _you_ were one of the ones who put improper substances inside my desk, were you not? I found your fingerprints."

Kaname raised her halisen.

Fingerprinting bordered on the otaku.

She resisted. Sousuke was trying. He was also busy at the moment.

"This is _DIFFERENT_. Peoples' lives were at stake." The boy glowered down at Sousuke, looking as if he was on the verge of getting violent himself

"That is true. Why didn't _you_ help him, then. Perhaps it was more your responsibility than mine. He _was_ your friend, was he not?" Sousuke's words struck like a knife.

No, more like a spear to the heart.

The boy's face froze. There was nothing he could say in response.

Other students stood stunned as well. A number began to see Sousuke in a different light. They had always feared him or laughed at him for some of his tendencies. But, they had always taken certain things for granted as well.

_It was something to think about._

"Sousuke...." Kaname mopped her brow.

Around her, Ryo, Maya, and Kyouko looked concerned.

"It is not a problem, Kaname. It was not _my_ job. I already have one person to protect. They should learn to take care of themselves. I may not always be here." Sousuke shrugged.

Kaname flinched.

_That was true. _

She had even threatened as much, even though she knew it was not something she wanted. Still……… to hear those words spoken so matter-of-factly……… she came to understand just how real that possibility was.

Why did she keep coming back to this subject?

"Sousuke...….. you shouldn't have eaten all of those dog biscuits. Can I buy you a lunch?" Kaname was certainly feeling guilty.

"No thank you, Kaname." He took something wrapped in cloth out of his pockets. "I know how you like to sneak out for snacks between classes. I thought I would save you the trouble. You can have _these_ if you like…."

Sousuke held out the dog biscuits.

Kaname's face began to turn red.

Her jaw was set.

The halisen twitched.

"….They might whiten your teeth."

_Kaname should have made Sousuke promise to get a clue._

The halisen sent Sousuke sliding across the cafeteria floor.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

After lunch, the remainder of the day's classes had been canceled.

This was a special week at Jindai High.

Today the students would have _Apprentice Day_. Tuesday afternoon was scheduled for _Cultural Day_. There would be a musical presentation by the band and chorus on Wednesday, and _Sports Day _on Thursday. The school dance was on Friday.

Because Kaname had been busy with other things, the organization of the day's activities had rested in the hands of another girl.

That particular girl had a grudge of sorts with Sousuke. He had blown up the love letter she sent him.

Kaname was assigned to work with a Cosmetician for the rest of the day. Not exactly a line of work she would choose to pursue, but there would be a chance to learn something about running a small business.

Shinji was apprenticed out to a librarian. Maya would be helping out at a bakery. Ryo would be stationed in a jewelry store. Kyouko would be at the Aquarium, working with a marine biologist.

Sousuke's services were given to the hard working crew of Truck #38, of the Refuse Reclamation Department.

He didn't say a word. He just accepted his folder, checked the address, and looked in the paperwork for any necessary apparel or equipment.

Kaname was incensed.

_She knew exactly why Sousuke had been given that position._

"That's not fair, and you know it!" The blue-haired girl said, coming to Sousuke's defense.

"_Sure_ it is," the girl retorted. "So much garbage happens around here because of Sousuke. So much garbage is _created_ around here because of his antics. Where else could he learn such a valuable lesson?"

"I can think of a _lot_ of places," Kaname growled.

"Yes. Well, it's a shame that our class representative was too busy to take on this responsibility. By the way, there has been a last minute change." The girl crossed a line through Kaname's name.

"Aki _really_ wanted to work with a cosmetician. She'll be happy you gave up that opportunity. But, you're in luck _too_. There is a vacant spot on Truck #38." The girl smiled. "Sousuke will probably enjoy the company. Aren't you glad you could help him out?"

Kaname had been speechless.

She hadn't expected to be slapped down like that simply by trying to help.

She caught her breath again. That phrase described a lot of Sousuke's actions. Maybe she should cut him a little slack in the future.

It was also interesting to see just how deep some peoples' grudges went. Satsuki wasn't usually that brazen and forward. There was truth to the saying _'absolute power corrupts absolutely.'_

After that, the day stank for Kaname.

_Literally. _

She and Sousuke were given overalls to dress in. Hers were size **XXL**. The arms hung down to her knees and she could have fit her entire body in either pants leg. Both gloves were way to large. They looked like catcher's mitts. She even got to wear a jaunty scarf.

Whoopee!

Sousuke never said a negative word.

He impressed the workers from the moment he arrived. The well-conditioned young man could sling loaded garbage containers as if they were filled with air. He hung off of the back of the truck like he had gibbon blood. In the truck bay, he was a whirling dervish with a scrub brush and polishing rag.

It might not be a career he would ever choose, but his sense of duty would not allow him to do less than his best.

_Kaname was a different story._

"I **hate** this job." She must said that to Sousuke more than one hundred times.

"I really **loath** this job." She said that fifty times.

"I'm going to **kill **Satsuki." That was said twenty five times.

Kaname lost track how many times her hands slipped out of her gloves. Despite her skills as an athlete, she fell off the truck a number of times. Occasionally, slipped into dumpsters: the one outside of the fish market was the worst.

She got garbage and any number of unidentifiable substances all up and down her arms.

_It would take more than a week just to scrub away the stench._

The men all made fun of the irritable girl. Mainly, they did so because she complained so much. But, it was also because she was a woman.

Sousuke said nothing.

_His pledge had struck again._

Still, as the day moved into night, Kaname gradually came around. She took her lead from Sousuke. She worked more and spoke less.

Surprising herself as much as anyone, she began telling jokes and laughing at other peoples' jokes. The final time she fell in a dumpster, she came out laughing, holding a copy of a popular magazine. The lead story was titled _'New Popular Jobs For People On The Move.' _

A miraculous transformation took place. The men all warmed to her. By the end of the shift, she was like a daughter or a sister to some of them.

She and Sousuke even ate dinner with the crew at their favorite sushi bar.

"You did very well today," Sousuke said, walking home from the restaurant.

"Thank you, Sousuke" Kaname said, blushing.

"Everyone was very impressed, I think." Sousuke nodded his head.

"They were good guys," Kaname said. "I never realized how hard they worked, or the conditions they had to work under." She was also beginning to see the parallel with Sousuke and the things he did.

"You may have found your calling, Kaname." Sousuke had not meant it as a joke.

"**WHAT???**"

Kaname's fists clenched. She ground her teeth together.

"It should be obvious. You are capable enough to excel as a Refuse Reclamation specialist."

"**_BAKA!!!_**"

It took the public works department fifteen minutes to extract Sousuke from the storm drain.


	4. The Play's the Thing

**TUESDAY**

"Don't walk so fast, Sousuke. Show a little consideration." Kaname's exclamation was echoed by Kyouko, Mizuke, Ryo, and Maya.

Ren just smiled. She knew that Sousuke was simply moving at his normal speed.

"I apologize. But I do _not_ need a human shield, Kaname." Sousuke looked at the girls forming a ring around him.

_Kaname's guilt had manifested itself big time._

"I see. Is **_that_** how you show your gratitude?" Kaname stomped her foot. She shook a fist at Sousuke.

"Maybe we should form a wall between Kaname and Sousuke...." Ryo quipped.

"No way!" Maya said, pretending to get dizzy. "_THAT_ would be dangerous."

"The sentiment is officially acknowledged, Kaname. However, by placing yourselves in close proximity to Ground Zero..……." Sousuke was interrupted.

**SMACK!!!**

"Owww..... Kaname, that hurt." Sousuke rubbed his head.

"_'GROUND ZERO,' _Sousuke???" Kaname was correct, Sousuke _had_ lapsed into mil-speak.

"By placing yourself _close to me_...." Sousuke waited, looking at the halisen.

"Go _on_, Sousuke…….."

It was like walking on a razor: if Sousuke unconsciously used military terms he would be in trouble. But, if he took too long to answer, he would be in even bigger trouble.

"....You place yourself in danger." Sousuke cringed ever so slightly. He had said the word 'danger.'

Ren stuck her hand up and grabbed Kaname's wrist.

Kaname nodded.

_No need to jump the gun._

"**HMMMPPPFFF!!!**" Kaname laughed her usual raucous laugh.

"Do _not_ be such a moron, Sousuke. What _possible_ trouble can we run into on the way to homeroom?" A number of the others girls chuckled with her.

"Ready...."

_"Aim...."_

"**_FIRE!!!_**"

Three boys armed with large fire extinguishers pulled the pins, squeezed the handles, and pointed the nozzles towards Sousuke.

Amazingly enough, the girls _did_ end up protecting him.

He was completely clean.

The girls, on the other hand, each looked like they had fallen into a vat orfwhipped cream. Foam fell of them onto the floor, making a sodden and strange plopping noise.

Shinji, given the task of being one of the photographers for _Cultural Day_, had just put a fresh roll in his camera. He soon found him snapping picture after picture. He got a great shot of the three other boys with an uncoiled fire hose. That, and shots of the girls being blasted down the hallway by the strong stream of water.

When they regained their feet, the girls growled like a pack of wild dogs.

The boys soon learned the error of their ways in a manner they would not soon forget. Sousuke grabbed Kaname's arms as she made an effort to run past him.

"Kaname, you should **not** resort to violence. Is that not the lesson you are trying to teach me?"

Kaname whistled to Ryo and pointed to a large wheel.

She then placed the nozzle of the fire hose down Sousuke's pants.

She gave Ryo a 'thumbs up.'

Smiling, Ryo dialed in maximum water pressure.

_Shinji needed another new roll of film._  
**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

When Sousuke sat down at his desk, a large amount of squid fell out of his desk.

He looked over at Mizuki.

She shrugged her shoulders. She hadn't done it. She had dealt with more than enough squid to last a lifetime back when Sousuke and his Mithril buddies secretly got revenge on Kaname's behalf..

"Hey, Sagara." It was the rugby team club captain. "I gotta say you are taking this like a champ. Not everyone would have the balls to do that. Most would just squirt some tears and run back to Mama." He patted Sousuke on the back. "Because of that, we gave your name to the Principal. You're now part of the Rugby team. See you for Thursday's game."

He neglected to mention that they had forged Sousuke's signature.

Across the room, Kaname had no way of knowing the boy had taped a '**KICK ME, I DON'T HAVE ANY WEAPONS' **sign to Sousuke's back.

At one point, a group of boys stole Sousuke's book bag for a moment.

Sousuke remained seated.

A little while later, the bag found its way back, flung across the room. The back of Sousuke's head stopped it. Checking to see what if any damage or vandalism had been done, Sousuke noted that one of his textbooks looked thicker.

He took it out and flipped through the pages.

_Someone had taped a lot of extra material in the book._

The teacher noticed Sousuke's face. The boy was sweating heavily. Wanting to make certain that his student wasn't sick, he walked over. His eyes widened when he saw the altered book.

"Mr. Sagara, I am shocked. I had not figured _you_ for one who would carry out such an egregious affront to your female classmates."

All of the girls looked at Sousuke, wondering what he had done this time.

"I thought you studied at night with someone." The teacher looked around the room for a show of hands.

"Miss Chidori, Sir." Sousuke looked over at Kaname.

"Does she look at your book at night?" The teacher was now staring at Kaname, too. "I had not judged _her_ to be one to promote such material."

"I rarely handle the book, Sir. _She_ reads the questions to _me." _Sousuke nodded.

The teacher's mouth dropped open.

"What is it Sousuke?" Kaname didn't like the direction the teacher's accusations had taken. "Let _me _see that book." She took it from Shinji, who had taken it from Sousuke.

Kaname opened the book back up. She turned pale. The book fell from her hands, landing open to one of the new pages.

Someone had gathered up girlie magazine centerfolds and taped them into Sousuke's book.

"**SOUSUKE!!!**" Kaname shouted, despite the fact that the teacher was standing nearby.

"Yes Kaname?"

"What is going on here?" Kaname fought hard to think logically. This was obviously not Sousuke's doing. "Doesn't this all strike you as a little bit odd?" Kaname was hoping Sousuke would claim innocence, clearing her in the process.

"Yes, Kaname!"

"Good. Why don't you tell everyone _what_ you find odd?"

_That ought to do it._

"Their chests are so very large. Is that _truly_ possible? How much exercise is needed to become so huge?" Sousuke gulped.

For a moment, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The smarter students kneeled down and hid under their desks. It was something like the _Duck-And-Cover _drills used in the States during the 50s and 60s.

"**_AHHH! _B-A-K-A-!!! **"

Kaname's halisen sent Sousuke out of the upper story window.

There was a loud crashing noise.

A pulley squeaked as the window washer lifted Sousuke a short distance to his classroom. A bucket sat on his head. His clothes were drenched.

"So those pictures _did_ get you wet! We didn't know you had it in you, Sagara." One of the boys on the soccer team slapped hands with his friend.

The classroom erupted in laughter.

_The teacher did not find things funny at all._

"Miss Chidori, you will be on eraser detail today. Mr. Sagara, I will get to _you _and your punishmentlater." The teacher looked around the room for guilty faces. Everyone smiled like an angel.

He had finally realized that someone other than Sousuke had rigged the book.

"Well, if we have no one brave enough to step forward and admit ownership of this prank, I will just have to confiscate this book." The book made its way home with him later that night.

"Attention please." The teacher his fist down on Sousuke's desk. "Before we get to our lesson for today, I will assign the topics for your upcoming science projects."

The teacher went through the list of projects. Sousuke's assignment was the last one to be called out.

"Mr. Sagara, you will write a paper on the following topic: _'The use of suppositories in large herbivores---a comparative study.' _I suggest you visit the city zoos. I expect you to record evidence of your research." He paused, looking down at Sousuke. "This should provide you with a good opportunity for _hands on _study."

"You mean hands _in_, don't you?" One of the girls asked.

Everyone laughed so hard they almost broke out in tears.

One boy fell out of his chair.

Kaname looked over at Sousuke with a sneer on her face. She was not feeling sorry for him at the moment.

_Anything but._

She smiled.

_That should be 'anything butt.'_

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Once again, Sousuke had to run the gauntlet of endless small tricks and trials.

He never showed even the slightest bit of anger or irritation.

A live lobster was waiting for him in his locker, claws at the ready. He was jumped in the restrooms and pelted with a barrage of wet paper towels. One teacher found him taped to the blackboard in the classroom.

_The rugby squad filled his shirt full of candy and used him as a pinata._

"We always knew you were a…… sweet…… guy," one of the boys quipped. "Yeh. It's really nice, you given us candy like this...." Another laughed. "And letting us hit you with broom handles!" They all laughed together.

"It is not a problem." Sousuke had been through much worse.

"I think this is way beyond too much!" It was Kaname. Someone had told her what was going on.

"Let him down, or the Principal will hear about it."

She was alone.

_She hadn't thought to gather up her friends._

"O, and who is going to _tell_ him, Miss Class Rep?" The team members all surrounded Kaname.

"I think you'll be too busy, giving us kissing lessons...." The look on the one player's face was anything but friendly.

"**_WHAT???_**" Kaname was beginning to get worried. They were probably just trying to scare her.

_Probably_.

"Sure, it will be educational for Senor Sagara as well. He'll get to see how _real_ men act with women." The guys all gave each other high fives.

Kaname looked over at Sousuke.

She knew that he could slip out of those ropes in an instance if he needed to. He showed no sign of being ready for action. His eyes were concerned, but nothing more.

"What's going on here?" A teacher walked up.

The boys began walking away. Shinji had seen what was going on and went for help.

"Are you alright, Mr. Sagara?" The teacher noticed the bruising on Sousuke's face.

"I am fine. All I need is to be unbound."

After the teacher had untied Sousuke, he headed back on his errand. Sousuke was left standing alone with Kaname.

"Sousuke, I'm sorry. I'm s-o-o-o-o sorry…." Kaname bit her lip. She wondered how many times she would have to apologize this week.

"Do not worry yourself over me, Kaname. Be more concerned for yourself. It appears you do not wish me to speak about danger and threats. You should therefore think on such topics yourself."

"I will, Sousuke. Believe me, I will." Kaname pushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"I will now go outside and eat my lunch. I do not wish to irritate the janitor any further."

"Sousuke, there is something I want you to do first." Kaname's face was intense.

"Kaname?"

"When you write down your entry in your logbook, put a big red circle around those guys. I want to be sure that they get what's coming to them. If I can, I would like to help!" Kaname clenched her fists.

"Affirmative. I enjoy doing things with you, Kaname."

_Kaname blushed._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

As it turns out, the janitor had more than enough grudges to settle with Sousuke.

The sesame sauce on the cafeteria floor was merely a minor irritant. The memory of his beloved carp still haunted him from time to time.

The odd looking man did not strike Sousuke. He did not dip him in a vat of cleaning solution. He did not slop water on his shoes with a mop.

"You will come with me over the lunch break," the man said. "I often miss my afternoon meal when I have to clean up after one of your escapades."

"It is not a problem." Sousuke considered the man's statement to be an order.

Most students would have been ready to scream after doing what Sousuke did next. Sousuke merely took everything in stride, learning what he could.

The janitor took Sousuke on a tour of all of his facilities, babbling on endlessly about the effectiveness of one cleaner or another. He described just how much work it took to mop up or scrub up after bombs…… food fights…… fire extinguisher battles…… and the like.

He and Sousuke both spent time removing new graffiti about Sousuke off of the school walls.

"I thank you for your instruction, Sir."

_Sousuke's response caught the janitor by surprise._

"Well, young man. Any time you want to learn more about the janitorial profession, my door is open. I _always_ have a spare mop ready." The janitor actually smiled.

He decide that he didn't need to oil up his chainsaw after all.

"That is good to hear. Miss Chidori causes sizeable messes herself on occasion. I think this tour would be of benefit for _her _too. She has already shown skills in matters of trash removal."

"Good. I'll talk to the Principal about it...." The janitor promised that to Sousuke asthe young soldierheaded off for _Cultural Day._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

A large stage had been set up in the gymnasium.

A sea of folding chairs surrounded it.

Banners hung everywhere, telling about the background of Jindai and the history of Japan.

_In one corner, Sousuke had been hung in effigy._

The first presentation of the day was put on by a group of professional musicians. They performed a program of Japanese cultural music, using three general classes of instruments: percussion, stringed, and wind. A number of unusual instruments, including bells used in Buddhist ceremonies, were also demonstrated.

Thunder filled the room when the huge _Odaiko_ drums were played. The noise covered up the tricks played on Sousuke. The sound of _taiko_ drums drowned out Kaname's shouts at the pranksters.

Smaller hourglass-shaped _kotsuzumi_ and _otzusumi_ drums were also used. One girl took a pair of chopsticks and atarted to mimic the beat on Sousuke's head. Kaname beat a lively tune on _her_ with the halisen.

Sousuke had a brief respite while the players demonstrated the 13-string _koto_ and the 3-string _shamisen_.

The _biwa_, a short-necked lute, was also shown, as it would later be played by one of the Jindai students during a puppet show. The visitors explained that the instrument was once played by blind monk entertainers.

The most famous type of flute shown was the _shakuhachi_ bamboo flute. Imported from China in the distant past, it had become associated with Buddhist _'Priests of Nothingness.' _A number of students shouted that Sousuke should embrace Nothingness: it was their way of saying the school might be a more peaceful place if he wasn't there.

_Nokan, takebue_, and _shinobue_ flutes were also played.

After the professionals showed their skills, students versed in the traditional instruments gave a short recital of their own. They would perform larger pieces on Wednesday.

Next up was the _Bunraku_, the Japanese puppet theater.

It was closer in style to Punch and Judy than Pinnochio. There were no strings, as performers are hidden behind a curtain. The puppets were large……. about one half life size……. And each was operated by three students.

In professional plays, the topics are usually historical and deal with the common Japanese theme of girl and ninjo: the conflict between social obligations and human emotions.

To many Japanese, Chikamatsu's _'Love Suicides at Sonezaki' _were of equal stature with Romeo and Juliet.

The play had been written by a number of students. Others had made costumes for the rented puppets. The storyline had been kept a secret from everyone.

Many of the students were restless at the start. Their generation didn't have much exposure to this type of performance.

_Their attitude soon changed._

The _musume_……. maiden puppet head……. was strangely familiar. It wore a scowl and had long blue hair, rather than the intricate hair style seen in most traditional women.

The _bunshichi_……. warrior puppet head……. had short scraggly hair and a cross-shaped scar on one cheek.

"Hey, are those Kenchin and Karyou?" One of the Gundam fanatics shouted out.

He was pelted with shoes.

It was official.

_There was at least one person in the school more clueless than Sousuke._

"Kaname, I believe the one is supposed to be you. But, the chest is too large. The posterior is too small. Should I point this out to them?" Sousuke's comment had everyone snickering.

Sousuke flew back over two rows of seats, courtesy of the halisen.

From where she stood, Kaname replied. "The warrior puppet is different that you, too, Sousuke. _It _doesn't feel pain. _It _can be repaired."

Often enough, art imitates life.

The opening part of the Bunraku had the maiden take a large paper object and repeatedly beat the warrior. Soon after that, the misadventures of the two were depicted in frenetic detail.

The warrior mistook a new hairdo as a wild animal attacking. He sliced it with his samurai sword. The warrior thought a kimono sash was a snake and cut it in two. The maiden was naked underneath. The maiden sung a song of longing and readied herself for a kiss. The warrior kissed his sword.

_On and on it went._

The show was so popular, the presenting students promised to write another one. Kaname promised herself that the presenters would get the 'dirty jobs' at the remainder of that school year's events.

The final show for the day would be Kabuki.

As it was not a military topic, Sousuke was able to give some of the background history to his fellow students. He recalled word for word an article he had read about the topic during one long flight to the South China Sea.

"Early performances had been all-female, due to their sensual nature." Sousuke scratched his head for a moment. "Kaname……. what does sensual mean?"

Kaname put her face in her hands.

She chose her words carelessly.

"Not now, Sousuke. I'll tell you later."

The _oohs_ and _ahhs_ from her classmates made her blush.

"Thank you, Kaname. No doubt your lesson will be as thorough as always." Sousuke wondered why Kaname sank down into her chair. "The performers were prostitutes, and male audiences often got out of control."

"**_YEH!!! _**Let's have some of _that_ today!" One of the boys shouted.

"Kaname, is your character---" Sousuke wasn't able to finish that question.

Kaname winced. Her foot was sore after booting Sousuke in the belly.

Sousuke coughed a few times before resuming. "The young male performers who took over for the women were---ironically--- prostitutes themselves."

At that, a number of wrestlers started calling out the name of the rugby player who had given the apple to Sousuke.

A small riot threatened to break out.

_Even in such a simple task, Sousuke had the unenviable potential to incite civic unrest._

"Later, older actors became more common, and more formalized and strictly theatrical dramas were enacted. Kabuki is performed on a large revolving stage with scenic backdrops and tricks such as trapdoors for surprise entrances. _Kamite_---stage left---is often where the important characters will be found. Standard male roles include the handsome lover..."

"Kiss him, Kaname!" Someone yelled out.

It was Mizuki, her attempt to conceal her voice failed. Kaname went to pay her a brief visit.

"...Or the handsome hero..."

"Kiss him _twice_, Kaname." Shinji was smart enough to run.

"...Or the evil samurai..."

"**KICK HIM IN THE NUTS**."

That came from the entire rugby team. Kaname put her hand on her chin, pondering.

"Roles for the female characters included the high-ranking samurai lady..."

"_Grab_ her, Sagara!" That came from one of the wrestlers.

"Kaname?" Sousuke asked.

_"Moron!" _Sousuke was pushed over his chair.

"I shall resume. High ranking samurai lady... or virtuous young maiden..."

"That lets Chidori out!" When the crowd pointed out the perpetrator, he high-tailed it out of the gym.

"...And a wicked woman."

Nobody said anything.

It was dead quiet.

_Everybody was staring at Kaname._

_"WHAT?!!" _Kaname huffed. She tapped the halisen on her arm.

"Nothing." "I didn't say anything." "I had something in my eye." "It was _him…_"

Everybody spoke up at once.

"Traditional Kabuki is highly melodramatic...." Sousuke continued, paying little attention to the fear on his classmates' faces.

Everybody looked at Kaname again, but quickly looked at the ceiling or their fingernails when she glared at them.

"...Nut, it is strictly historical. Like Shakespeare's works, the characters in the plays and stories are often familiar to the audience." Finished, Sousuke went to sit down again.

_He was prevented by one of the students who wrote this play._

"Sousuke, you need to come down with us to get in costume." The girl fought hard to keep from smiling.

"But, I have had no opportunity to practice!" Sousuke was not one for performing.

"It's OK, Sousuke. It's all in good fun" Kaname said, trying to reassure him.

"I'm glad you feel that way. We need _you_ too, Kaname." That came from a boy carrying bundles of costumes.

"**_WHAT?!_**" Kaname's voice carried across the huge room.

"It is not a problem," Sousuke said. "It is all in good fun."

"**WHO ASKED YOU!**" Sousuke tumbled down to the stage area.

The play was a historical drama, depicting one of the greatest battle in the history of ancient Japan.

Sousuke and Kaname need not have worried about their spoken lines---they had none.

Sousuke was the back half of a costume horse. Kaname was put in front of him.

The warrior 'riding' Sousuke took great glee in swatting the horse's rump with his sword. Sousuke was even more black-and-blue by the end of the performance than he was before they started.

Kabuki might be a dying art form amongst the younger generation, but the students loved _that _performance.

They wanted an encore.

_With the horse._

"I always knew Sagara was a horse's ass!" One of the rugby players was looking for attention.

"Hey Sagara, how's the view in there?" One of the swimmers shouted out.

"It is not unpleasant..." Sousuke's muffled voice replied

"**SOUSUKE!!!**" That shout came from the other end. No one could see Kaname blush.

The rear part of the horse came flying off. Sousuke fell down a trap door that one of the girls hadconveniently opened.

"Hmmmpppfff!!!" Kaname grunted. "Leave him in there."


	5. Chapter 5

**WEDNESDAY**

Sousuke became a status symbol of sorts.

It was a passing fad thing.

Whichever student group managed to pull a prank on him gained some status points in the school.

_The art class struck first._

If anything, the student body was becoming adept at forgery. The art teacher had been handed a memo, supposedly from the Principal. Sousuke was going to serve as the live model for the class.

When the teacher flipped to the next chapter in the lesson planner, it turned out to be nudes.

Sousuke was sweating heavily when he stepped out of the dressing room. He was allowed a large fig leaf---nothing more. The resultant drawings were interesting. There were some guys who left out the leaf. Naturally, one part of Sousuke's anatomy was conspicuously absent from _their_ paintings.

A number of girls……… still part of a figurative _'Sousuke Fan Club' _despite 'Sagara Week'……… asked for two pieces of paper so they could sketch a side view.

Most drawings and paintings bore a striking resemblance to earlier works. A majority of artists drew him hanging from trees, wrapped up in rope.

Hackers had managed to get into the scheduling computer. Sousuke was assigned to the Home Economics class for that day, following Art Class.

A _Western style _curriculum was on trial, to see if it had any place in the Japanese school system. Kaname happened to be in the same class with Sousuke.

The teacher was strict, playing everything by the book with no exceptions.

Sousuke was forced to wear a large frilly apron and a hair cap. Kyouko asked to be excused. She said she was going to the bathroom, but was actually intent on getting more film.

The Mithril operative was on his best behavior, but still managed to end up on the bad side of numerous girls.

_First, despite having no explosives on hand, he managed to blow up the dessert of the day._

"Too much baking powder, Mr. Sagara. And, it goes in the oven, _not_ a pressure cooker." The teacher's words were soon written in Sousuke's notebook.

Those words did nothing to appease the three girls covered with a thick layer of batter.

_Second, when it came down to the judging of the next project, Sousuke's cake placed second. _

That earned him the jealous glare of a number of different girls. Kaname took notice, overhearing a number of girls plotting to sabotage Sousuke's next dish.

"Teacher, I suggest that Sousuke be employed to judge the next batch. It will give everyone a reason to see who can do the best job." Kaname smiled.

_That way, Sousuke couldn't show anyone else up._

"That's a great idea, Miss Chidori. Mr. Sagara, you can hang up your apron. The hair net is optional."

Once again, Kaname failed to think things through. She had set Sousuke up even worse than before.

"OK ladies, Kabocha muffins with nama cream. Start off making your pumpkin paste." The girls all got to work. The teacher gave Sousuke a short course on judging baked goods.

When they were finished, the girls all lined up. Some were tittering nervously: they actually wanted to make a good impressing on Sousuke. Others had sly smiles.

Who knows what _they_ might be up to?

Kaname just didn't want to make a fool of herself.

When it was a particulat student's turn, the girl bowed to Sousuke, dropped down on her knees, and held the platter she carried up above her head.

_Sousuke took his job very seriously._

"Excellent consistency. Flavor a bit bland, but pleasant. The cream is too thick." The girl thanked Sousuke for his attention and returned to her seat.

Kyouko had a similar evaluation. She smiled, then sat down.

On the third muffin, Sousuke's eyes opened wide. He wanted to speak, but no words came out.

"Ooops. I just remembered, the recipe called for _sugar_. I used salt." Friends patted that girl on the back.

Sousuke also had to suffer through 'accidents' using pepper, mustard powder, and even onions.

Kaname was the last in line. "Here you go Sousuke. I hope you like it." Kaname found that she was holding her breath.

Why?

It was only Sousuke.

_The thing he was eating was nothing more than a stupid pumpkin muffin._

Sousuke bit into the muffin. The whole group of girls sat on the edge of their seats. There was no telling what might happen. Kyouko was ready.

"Commendable effort, Kaname...." Sousuke began.

Kaname smiled.

"….However, I am confused. Did they supply you with inferior ingredients? It is not up to your usual adequate standard…."

Kaname's jaw dropped open.

'Adequate?'

"….The taste is very good, but the muffin is overly firm...."

Kaname growled. She bit down on her oven mitt to muffle the sound.

"…. But, if you put one on either end of a short rope, you could make an effective bolo…."

Kaname went over and picked up a large spatula. She had left the halisen in her locker.

"….Your efforts at Waste Collection spoke to a much higher standard...."

"**BIG IDIOT!!!**"

Kaname brought a large shelled out pumpkin over Sousuke's head. He looked like something out of _'The Headless Horseman.' _

"**YOU BROKE THE RULES... NO OTAKU STUFF ALLOWED!!!**"

The girls all took notes on how to treat a troublesome man. The teacher looked on as well: her husband had been getting uppity lately.

"I'll show you 'Adequate,' Sousuke!" Kaname pelted Sousuke with an entire carton of eggs.

_"Mrrffllbrffll" _Sousuke replied from inside the pumpkin.

"I think this bowl of bean paste might be 'overly firm.' _Moron!" _She poured the mixture down Sousuke's shirt.

"_Erfflmrmrgrbll!!!" _Sousuke said, dancing about.

"Bolo? When I'm through, _YOU'LL_ be ready for Waste Collection!" Kaname opened the oven. A number of girls rushed up and pulled Sousuke out.

"Kaname," Kyouko said, holding onto her friend's arm. "I thought your plan was to _protect _Sousuke!"

"O! I forgot...." Kaname looked somewhat sheepish for a moment. That is, until she noted a small number of girls asking if Sousuke was alright.

They all offered to help clean him off.

He was told that he could use the girls' shower if necessary.

"**_SOUSUKE!!!_**"

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Walking down the hallway, Sousuke noted that most of the lights were out.

He suspected a trap.

The words he heard didn't make any sense.

"**Everything that can be invented has been invented. **_Charles H. Duell, U.S. Patent Office Commisioner, 1899."  
_  
Sousuke thought he recognized that voice. It sounded like a small scrawny boy with overly thick glasses.

Was that _his_ form moving in the shadows?

"**640K ought to be enough for anybody**. _Bill Gates, 1981."_

Another body obscured by darkness.

That had sounded like an extremely tall girl with a penchant for computers.

"**Louis Pasteur's theory of Germs is ridiculous. **_Pierre Pachet, professor of Physiology at Toulousse, 1872."  
_  
Was that the short chubby guy with the acne problem?

"**We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out**. _Decca Recording Co., rejecting the Beatles, 1962."  
_  
That was the girl who had the large braces and ponytails.

"Beatles?"

"How could insects be playing music?"

"Huh?"

"Sorry guys," the girl said. "**I think there is a world market for maybe five computers. **_Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943."_

"We already did computers."

"Geez."

"Make her draw the periodical table on the lunchroom table with ketchup again!"

Sousuke began to get worried. He knew who he faced.

_**Nerds. **_

There was no telling what _they_ might do.

The lights went entirely out.

There was heavy breathing. "Sousuke, I'm you father." Nerd humor: _'The Empire Strikes back.'_

"No, that's impossible." Sousuke liked that movie. His response was automatic and entirely correct.

"_Good enough! _You won yourself a chance at escape, young Hallwalker. If you can give us an Infamous Quote, you can go free. If you do not, it's the _probe droid _for you." There was the sound of a high-powered drill.

Sousuke was caught on the horns of a dilemma.

_Who in their right mind wanted to face nerds with power tools? _

The only quotation that came to mind would break his pledge. His opposing thoughts held a debate, much like the shoulder angel and shoulder devil in Western cartoons.

'_Kaname is not here now' _was the winning argument.

Sousuke would apologize to her later, when he was safe. This was not the major part of his promise. He would stick to _that_, no matter what.

For now.

"**Airplanes are interesting toys, but of no military value**. _Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Supeieure de Guerre."_ Sousuke began to sweat.

There was a rush of mumbling. Sousuke couldn't make anything out.

_It reminded him of Jawas._

"You are correct. You are free to go. But, I should inform you of one important fact. You are one of **us**, now." That statement was followed by maniacal laughter.

"Yes."

"Most certainly."

"Forever."

"I am sorry, but I do _not _belong to any groups." Sousuke had won. That should suffice.

"**Airplanes are interesting toys**...." It was his voice. The nerds had brought a tape recorder.

"I'm certain Miss Chidori would like to hear this interesting recording."

_The voice was evil through and through._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Gym class should have been a refuge for Sousuke.

The instructor was ex-military and no nonsense.

_No one should have been allowed to get out of line. _

But, as it turned out, it was **his** car that Sousuke once thought might be a terrorist vehicle. Sousuke's excuse of _'Only terrorists and people with very bad taste select that vehicle' _did not endear him to the burly man.

The scowling teacher was also very upset that all four expensive after-market wheels had come loose and rolled away in the middle of rush hour traffic.

"Today we will be running the mile," he announced. "You can all thank Mr. Sagara for _that_." He held a grudge for a long time, despite the fact that his car had been repaired over two months ago.

It would take years to pay off the _major_ repair bill. He didn't want to think about the multiple smaller ones. Re-upholstery. Re-painting. Re-everything.

Sousuke got evil looks from every body, even Shinji.

_Especially Shinji._

"You're all big boys. So, we're not going to worry just about distance today. You have to show me good running form. If you don't, you'll do the distance _again!"_

Some of the guys were worried. But, most thought they knew what was going on. They suspected that Sousuke was going to be doing a _lot_ of running.

_They were right._

Sousuke had no problem whatsoever with the first mile. He finished far ahead of the next runner. When all of the boys were gathered together, the instructor spoke to them.

"I've seen young girls do better, but that was enough to get by. Get yourselves some water, and take a breather." The boys began following that order. "Everyone except for Mr. Sagara. _You _will be running again. You showed a deplorable lack of sportsmanship, finishing so far ahead of your classmates. Go!" He fired a starter's pistol.

The second mile was no harder than the first. When Sousuke crossed the finish line, he walked over to his coach.

"Well, exhausted yet, Mr. Sagara?" The coach was hopeful.

"No Sir. I have been very busy of late. I have not had time for my usual training. I wish to thank you for this opportunity."

For a moment, the coach was stunned. Then he smiled. "You all heard that," he said to the other boys. "Such insolence _cannot_ be tolerated!!! Start running mister. Think about what you did."

"Wash his mouth out with soup!"

"Make him do _two _miles."

"Have him run backwards."

The rugby boys were loving it. Sagara would be reduced to a crawling, puking wreck.

_That would teach him!_

Sousuke remained silent when he finished that mile. The gym teacher was growing angry. Even though if it wasn't Sousuke's intention, he was making a fool out of the man.

"Do you know what you did incorrectly, young man?" The instructor frantically tried to find a reasonable excuse.

"No sir."

"Then, for your ignorance, you have earned yourself a fourth mile." He smiled. _That_ would do it. He was certain. "If you make it under eight minutes, you're finished. If you don't, get ready for number five."

Sousuke took off again.

He enjoyed running.

Once, he had thought about training to run the actual path run by Pheiddippedes between Athens and what had been Sparta. But, his career kept him too busy.

As he ran, he began thinking about the events of the Battle of Marathon, 490 B.C. That wouldn't be against Kaname's rules, would it? Thinking?

"You boys well rested now?" the instructor asked the remainder of the gym class. "Because if you are, I have a pocket full of yen for anybody who can slow Mr. Sagara down." The rest of the boys, with the exception of Shinji, took off as if they had been shot out of the barrel of a cannon.

_As it turned out, Sousuke would have even more pursuers. _

The girls' class was out now, and they were in their _Long Distance Running _block as well. One particular girl held a grudge against Sousuke after he shaved the dog she had brought to class. He had wanted to be certain that the German Shepherd did not have any tattoos marking it as a trainee at a number of little known schools for attack dogs favored by underground mercenary and terrorist groups.

"I'll bring bentos for an entire week for the first girl that can catch up to Sousuke and pants him. _Hard!"_

For a long while, Kaname was in the lead.

"Sousuke!" She shouted as she sped along. "Sousuke, I got a chance to hear a **very **interesting audio recording."

By the end of gym class, Sousuke had worked up a good sweat. The rest of the girls and guys were spread all over the track. Most were on their backs, gasping for breath.

"That was amazing, Sousuke." Kaname was wobbling, but still walking. She held up her hands. "Don't worry. I promise I won't do anything. I'm too tired to do anything."

"You ran very well for someone with your physical proportions, Kaname."

Kaname's eyes narrowed.

She walked up behind Sousuke.

There was a sound of tearing cloth.

_Sousuke's eyes rolled back in his head._

"_B-B_-But..... _K-K_-Kaname..... you promised!"

"I know, Sousuke. We're even now. Let that be a lesson to you. Stick to your promise." She patted him on the cheek. "And, you _never_ should have trusted those nerds!!!"

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

After all the running everybody did, they _should_ have been in a more mellow mood.

They were not.

Just about every boy and girl in Sousuke's class made it a point to spill, drop, or crush some kind of food on Sousuke over lunch break.

"That really is uncalled for," Kaname said, her own anger gone. "It's not as if you forced them to chase you." She tried to offer Sousuke some of her rolled omelet. He refuse, sticking with the dog biscuits.

"It is not a problem, Kaname. Something good is coming out of it. They are learning unity."

Kaname just shook her head.

She couldn't help but smiling.

_There was no way she was going to let Sousuke know, but she was truly impressed yet again, seeing how he kept such a level head and an upbeat attitude._

"Do you have a part in the upcoming Music Festival, Sousuke?" Things had been so hectic lately, Kaname had forgotten to ask before.

She had the role of a Kabuki dancer during one of the musical presentations.

"No, I have not been given an assignment."

"O, we'll take care of _that_, won't we boys." The entire drama class had walked over the the table just as Sousuke answered. They hog-tied Sousuke and led him away.

_No doubt they were still angry over the last time he blew up one of their shows, thinking they were actual soldiers intent on kidnapping Kaname.  
_  
The presentations all went very well.

Afterwards, Sousuke was walking a little funny.

"Sousuke, are you OK?" Kaname sounded concerned. "I saw the drama class. Some of their members did very well with the Odaikos. I didn't see you though. Were you running the light or sound boards?"

"No, Kaname. I was assigned to a drum."

"But Sousuke, I saw _all_ of the drums. I was up close. I didn't see you." Kaname didn't think that Sousuke would lie to her.

"You probably did not check _inside_ of the drums."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

After the Music Day, the students were allowed to use the rest of the day for their science projects.

Sousuke headed out towards the Tokyo Zoo.

Kaname accompanied him, as the Art Museum she needed to visit was in the same general area.

Before they left, however, Sosuke needed to get through the latest round of shenanigans. Kaname had stopped feeling guilty. Now she was feeling annoyed.

_Her fellow students had been at it for three whole days, and didn't show any signs of letting up._

"Only Sousuke," she said quietly to herself. "Only Sousuke."

When Kaname was in the girls' room, Sousuke was jumped by the entire girls volleyball team.

They had two missions.

The first was to show Sousuke their appreciation for a memorable bus trip. When Kaname found him shirtless and pantless, he was be covered with lipstick from head to toe.

The second was payback for his digging up the sand of their volleyball pits looking for possible mines. After she growled at seeing the lipstick marks, Kaname laughed so hard she almost passed out.

The girls had brought an electric razor.

_They shaved Sousuke eyebrows off._

"Are you OK, Sousuke?"

"Yes, Kaname." He had a strange look on his face. "It felt..... _interesting."_

"What? _JERK!!!" _Kaname gave him an elbow in the gut and started stomping away.

"Ow, Kaname. What is wrong about finding the shaving process interesting?"

Kaname stopped and shook her head.

_What would be worse, having Sousuke enjoy being kissed by a dozen girls, or Sousuke not even taking notice of the kisses of a dozen girls?_

It took them a while to find Sousuke's clothes.

His pants were in the girls' locker room. They had been treated with a dozen different perfumes. His shirt was stuffed inside of a large P.A. speaker. If the belt buckle hadn't been left hanging out, they never would have found it. One sock was flying from the front flag pole. The other was sitting inside the awards case, next to a hand-drawn plaque that read _'Jindai Chamionship, final _score. _Girls' Volleyball 12, Sousuke Sagara 0.'_

"Talk about knowing how to win friends and influence people. You really _are_ a monster, Sousuke." Kaname was in a good mood. She hadn't found a bag of cow manure in _her_ locker, or a bunch of steamed crabs in _her_ book bag.

"It is not by intention, Kaname. Things happen in the course of my duty. As long as you remain unharmed, I am content."

Kaname smiled.

"But, it seems that _you_ have won a lot of admirers, too."

Kaname stopped smiling.

"Sousuke?" Kaname didn't like the sound of Sousuke's statement.

"When I managed to remove myself from wood bin in the craft room, I found a number of posters. I removed all that I could find."

"_What_ posters, Sosusuke?" Kanmame began to have a bad feeling in her stomach.

"Uh...."

"Sousuke...." Kaname was _not_ in the mood for the 'Uh' game.

"Uh...."

"**SOUSUKE!!!**" She screamed directly into Sousuke's ear.

"Here." He handed Kaname a thick ream of papers from out of his malodorous book bag.

_Obviously, some one had great talent with computers and graphic arts. _

There was a picture of a jackass with Kaname's head. There was a poster with a dog's head on Kaname's body. There were a number of variations on a pornographic theme with Sousuke and Kaname.

_Those were the nicer ones._

"**_OOOOHHH!!!_**" Kaname obviously was **not** happy.

"I guess you can look on the positive side, Kaname."

"_WHAT???" _The look on Kaname's face clearly challenged Sousuke to find _anything_ positive in this latest prank.

"Despite what you might think, my methods must be having some success. I do not believe they could develop such anger and jealousy over three days. If anything, they should feel a debt towards you for the fun that they have had." Sousuke ran his hand over his face where the eyebrows once were.

"What is your _point, _Sousuke?" Kaname's face was particularly sour looking.

"They have not done these things to you before. I doubt they will do so again after the week is up."

"I see." Kaname nodded her head. It seems that Sousuke's protection _was_ worth something after all.

_That made her feel better somehow._

"But, that means they may now consider **you** fair game, Kaname."

Kaname stopped short, her eyes going very wide. She seriously considered calling in sick the next two days.

As they were walking out of the school on their way to the train station, Kaname found out the truth of Sousuke's statement the hard way.

"O……… _Chi_……… _do_……… _reeeeeeeeeee_...." It was the boys' Track Team.

They had been scheduled to make a trip to watch the _International World Meet _in the Tokyo Dome.

But, because the school was running out of money, Kaname had to decide between two events that needed funding. She gave the Jindai Herpetologist Club money to see the _Reptile and Amphibian Show _in Nagoya, since the Track Team had been to an event late the year before.

With Sousuke standing idly by, the boys dragged her over to the flag pole, looped the rope around her ankles, and hefted her high into the air.

Her screams carried a good five city blocks.

She had invented a dozen new curse words by the time Sousuke got her down.

"Was the view interesting up there, Kaname?"

"**_SOUSUKE!!!_**"

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Riding on the crowded train, Kaname tried to put a positive spin on the past three days.

"Well Sousuke, you've managed to go three days without blowing something up!"

"Yes, Kaname. Except in baking."

"That does _not_ count, Sousuke. You _know_ what I meant." Kaname laughed, remembering the look on the Home-Ec teacher's face. It had been priceless.

"Yes, Kaname."

"And you didn't even turn into a pumpkin or anything _did_ you???" Kaname laughed.

Sousuke stared at her.

"Huh? _O!" _It wasn't the best example.

Home-Ec, again.

"It is not a problem for me, Kaname. I have been through much worse." Sousuke turned to stare out the train window.

"I see." Kaname's voice got husky, seeing Sousuke's reaction.

Sousuke remained quiet.

"Would it help to talk to someone about it, Sousuke. Forget I asked. I don't want to pry. I guess they have people at Mithril for that kind of stuff, _huh?" _Kaname shivered.

She had little doubt: given the hints she had gotten from Tessa, Melissa, Kurz, and Sousuke himself, the young man in the seat next to hers must have spend a significant amount of time talking with psychologists.

"Yes, Kaname."

Kaname decided to remain quiet. Score another one for her big mouth.

_She hadn't meant to cause Sousuke any pain._

"It started when I was on my own in Kabul. After my parents had died...."

Sousuke went on to tell Kaname about his days as a street urchin, and his days with the mujahadeen.

It wasn't a pretty story.

At times, Kaname's face went dead white. Other times, the tears coursed down her cheeks. She learned a lot more than she thought she wanted to know, but she somehow felt better.

She realized something.

_With all that Sousuke had gone through, it was amazing that he hadn't turned into a raving maniac over the past three days.  
_  
His voice growing hoarse, Sousuke stopped talking after he had shared painful memories of a mission in Guatemala. His face hadn't changed, but there was a slight spark of pain in his eyes.

It was a miraculous sight to Kaname.

_Sousuke Sagara was human after all._

"Sousuke?" Kaname needed to ask this next question. She was afraid of what the answer might be.

"Yes, Kaname."

"The way you act in school..... Is that because you _enjoy_ guns and bombs? Do you.... _like… _shooting things and blowing stuff up?" She tried to find the right words. "Is it hard in High School, _not_ being able to kill when you face people you view as enemies?" She looked down at her lap.

"It is very hard in High School, Kaname."

Kaname's face fell.

_She didn't want to think of Sousuke as a wild dog on a leash._

"It is hard, because I do not fit in." Sousuke paused a moment. "I no longer kill out of need or anger. I merely do what needs to be done to stay alive, and to complete missions that save many _other_ lives. It is not fun. I do not find pleasure in it. Sometimes...." His voice became very bleak.

He looked out of the train window again.

Kaname wished she could see his eyes.

"O...." Kaname didn't know what to say.

_They were both quiet for a while longer._

"Thank you, Kaname."

"For what, Sousuke?" Kaname didn't feel as if she deserved any thoughts. Her suspicions had been rather accusatory.

"For listening. For asking." There was a different spark in his eyes momentarily, before the wall went up again.  
_  
Kaname wasn't certain what she felt._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Sousuke's first trip to the zoo was memorable.

He carried off his duties with great aplomb. Despite showering a number of times, he remained somewhat fragrant. Kaname threatened to sit in another car, but stayed with him just the same.

She was carrying a large number of art books for her project.

After they left the station and were headed down the street, they ran into serious trouble. _Very_ serious trouble. They were not dealing with high school students any more.

"Well, well, well. I think I recognize that blue-haired little cutie. Don't _you,_ boys?"

It was one of the gangster's that Sousuke and one group of Yakusa had routed when they were rescuing Rena and Kaname.

"Yeh, I remember." Another man threw away a bottle of sake he had just finished. "I still have the scars."

"How could I forget such a pleasant experience," the third man said, paring his fingernails with a sharp little blade.

"And unless I miss my guess, that would be Sousuke Sagara with her. We know about _him _now, don't we boys?" The first speaker pulled a roll of coins out of his pocket and formed a fist around it.

"Yes, word on the street is that he's going cold turkey, swearing off violence. Amazing how much some people talk, _isn't_ it? Never know when you might pick up something useful by listening." Another gang member slipped on a pair of brass knuckles.

"Yes, especially to little birds. Want to know what a little bird told _me?" _The one man looked at two comrades, smiling.

"Sure!" The man with the knife rammed it into a telephone pole and listened intently.

"Seems some little bird once saw someone named Sagara getting out of a strange machine once. Want to guess what it looked like?"

"Hmmm... a giant mouse .....or a mouse-bear-chipmunk kind of thing?"

"Bonta-Kun," Sousuke said under his breath.

"Yes," the leader of the trio spoke. "Nice of you to admit it. I _like_ a man with guts. Since we are at truce with that other group, we won't hurt you _too_ bad."

"No, you'll live."

"Mostly in one piece, too."

"How can you do that to someone who can't fight back. You are just _mrphll grbll mrbll_---" Sousuke clamped a hand over Kaname's mouth.

"That mouth is going to get her in trouble some day," one man said, throwing his coin roll up in the air and catching it.

"Yes," Sousuke agreed. "But, not today. She does not belong in this fight. Will you let her go unharmed? I will say, if you promise not to harm her."

"Souske…… _no!!!"_

"Kaname……… **_QUIET!!!_**" Sousuke had never raised his voice to her ever. In all likelihood he might never do it again.

_That was why it was so effective._

Kaname held her tongue.

She was shivering, worried about what was going to happen to Sousuke. The guilt was just too strong to keep bottled up. "Please, Sousuke. Just forget about the damn promise. **PLEASE!!!**"

"No." Sousuke looked over to the head man, who nodded his head. "Go home, Kaname. Unless you want to watch this."

Kaname ran away crying.

She called the police, but knew that they wouldn't get there in time. She sat outside of Sousuke's apartment, planning to wait until he showed up.

_He didn't come home._


	6. Chapter 6

**THURSDAY**

Kaname arrived at school with bags under her eyes.

She hadn't gotten any sleep.

Her friends were very worried about her, but she didn't want to go into any details.

Sousuke would be fine. In fact, he should be in school this morning. The police had found him, and insisted he stay in a hospital overnight for observation, despite his insistence that he was fine.

_Better safe than sorry, they had said._

Sousuke had been relatively safe. Kaname spent the night feeling incredibly sorry.

Walking into the school, he had the slightest of limps. His one cheek was swollen, and there was a small cut at the corner of his mouth. He had bruises on top of bruises.

A number of students made wisecracks at his expense, but most were very concerned. The games they were playing was one thing---serious injuries were another thing altogether.

"Sousuke, where _were_ you?" Kaname was close to tears again. "I called all of the hospitals, but none knew of your whereabouts."

"The police told them to keep it a secret. I told them I was in no further danger from gangs, but they looked at me like I had a head injury." Sousuke's voice was slightly slurred.

"We _all_ think that, some times" Kaname said, trying to lighten up the mood.

"I see. I called your apartment, but you were not at home. I was concerned that you might not have made it home safe."

"YOU were concerned about _ME? _While you were laying in a hospital?" Kaname's eyes were big.

"Yes, Kaname. Even though I may not speak of it, it _is_ my duty." Kaname let him slip that one in. Still, she was not happy.

"O. I see. _Duty." _Kaname sounded dejected. She didn't know why.

"Is there something wrong, Kaname?"

"O, No! Why should there be. **_Ah hah hah hah hah hah." _**

The "Denial Laugh.'

Kaname looked away.

"I also did not want anything to hurt you, Kaname."

"Thank you, Sousuke." Kaname felt better. Sousuke had the unique ability to make her feel warm and cuddly one moment, and wanting to jump off of a bridge the next. "I was not at home. I waited outside of your door for you. I was worried. I wish I never made you promise what you did!"

"It is OK, Kaname. I am learning things. It is not easy being a normal student."

"Sousuke, even without guns and bombs, you are **not** a normal student!" Kaname shook her head, smiling.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Kaname soon forgot about Sousuke's misadventure.

She had problems enough of her own to deal with. That morning, it appears that the other students were giving Sousuke a grace period.

They needed something to fill the void.

"Kaname walked into a doctor's office and said _'Doctor, I hurt all over!'_" One of the boys decided on making a joke about Kaname.

The idea caught fire.

"The doctor says. _'That's impossible.'_"

"'No, really' Kaname said. _'Just look. When I touch my arm, **OUCH**---it hurts! When I touch my leg, **OUCH**---it hurts! When I touch my head, **OUCH**--- it hurts! When I touch my chest, **OUCH**---it **really** hurts.'_"

"The doctor just shook his head and said _'You were actually born with that blue hair, weren't you?'_"

Kaname smiled and said _'Why yes, I was. How did you know?'_"

"The doctor replied _'Because your **finger** is broken!!!'_"

The whole homeroom burst into a long bout of laughter. Kaname got the impression that she was in for a long day.

_Sousuke was puzzled._

"Kaname, is that story true? How could you miss the fact that your finger was broken?"

"It never _was_, Sousuke. It was just a joke." Kaname forgot about Sousuke's injuries. Sometimes he could just be **so** aggravating.

"I see. Why did you pretend that you had all that pain, then? Doctors are usually very busy. They do not have time for such nonsense."

Kaname just stared at Sousuke. It took a whole minute before she felt ready to respond in a composed fashion.

"Sousuke. The _story_ that the boy told was a joke. That never actually happened to me."

"The next one's true, though." One girl stood up, all eyes upon her.

"One morning, Kaname called one of her friends and asked her to come over. _'I have a really great puzzle, but I have no idea how to start it.'_"

"Her friend asked _'What is it a puzzle of?'_"

"Kaname answered _'From the picture on the box, I would say it was a tiger.'_"

"The friend rushed over, knowing what happened if Kaname was allowed to get frustrated. When she got to the apartment, Kaname let her in and took her to where the puzzle pieces were spread out all over the table."

"The friend looked everything over, including the box, and then just shook her head. She said _'No matter what I do, there is no way you will be able to make those into anything looking like the picture on the box.'_"

"_'Then what should I do?' _Kaname asked, saddened."

"'_I suggest you put all of the Frosted Flakes back in the box.'_"

Again the class had a great time at Kaname's expense.

"Kaname, I have tried that imported cereal before. Its flavor is not unpleasant. But, the flakes do not look anything like puzzle pieces. Even you must have seen that." Sousuke looked perplexed.

"_Even_..... me..... Sousuke?" Kaname growled. Kyouko and Ren grabbed hold of her arms.

"It was another joke," Mizuki told Sousuke.

"Though I can see why you might think otherwise," Ryo said.

"I was the one she called over," Maya said. "Not _really_, Sousuke."

Kaname tossed her hair. "**HMMPPFF!!! **_Any more?"_

"Well, since you asked." A boy stood up and took a bow.

Almost everyone clapped.

"Kaname walked into a department store, pointed, and told the clerk _'I want to buy that microwave.'_"

"'_We don't sell microwaves to blue-haired girls.'_" The clerk was insistent.

"The next day, Kaname put on a blonde wig and returned to the store. _'I want to buy that microwave,' _she said again."

"The sales clerk said _'We do not sell microwaves to blue-haired girls.'_"

"The next day, Kaname dyed her hair black and went back in. _'I want to buy that microwave,' _she said one more time."

"_'We **still** do not sell microwaves to blue-haired girls,' _the clerk said, exasperated."

"_'How did you know I really have blue hair?' _Kaname asked."

"_'That isn't a microwave. It's a TV!'_"

Everyone cheered and whistled.

"Kaname, is _that_ why you say you do not like to use a microwave?" Sousuke remembered something that Kaname had once told him.

Kaname just put her head down on her desk.

"It will be OK, Kaname." Kyouko patted her on the back. "Really it will."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The day's planned attire had been decided on _before _word had gone around that Sousuke was injured.

Most people were wearing fatigues, camouflage clothing, or some form or ersatz military uniform. It was more of a simple joke than any form of mockery. In fact, to some students, it was almost an act of homage.

_The students' actions towards Sousuke were softening considerably._

Kaname was not pleased.

It almost looked like there was a school full of otakus.

There was only so much she could take. Especially since she had already found a live eel in her desk. That, and one pint of lychee preserves in her book bag. Not to mention the entire Soccer teams' set of sweaty jock straps in her locker. Or the pigs'eyes in her bento box.

"It is a learning experience, Kaname." Sousuke tried to make the most of Kaname's lunch time discovery.

"I fail to see how _this_ could be educational, Sousuke!" She was definitely **not** in the mood for any kind of lecture.

"That is not surprising."

Kaname couldn't tell if he meant _'Your lack of knowledge is not surprising,' _or _'It is not a common topic.' _Because he was injured, she would give him the benefit of the doubt. Just this once.

"Go on, Sousuke." He had gotten hurt because of her. She decided to humor him.

"In a pig's eye means _'never,' _or _'highly unlikely.' _Also, Churchill wrote a book titled '**In a Pig's Eye.'**"

"_Churchill_, Sousuke?" Kaname's voice rose. "What did I tell you about _any_ military history nonsense?" She picked up her halisen. Injury be damned.

"This had nothing to do with warfare, Kaname. He was a Prime Minister, not a soldier. He was writing about the plight of the aboriginal natives in North America."

"OK, Sousuke. Very good. _Thank you_." Kaname really did not feel enlightened, but it didn't cost her anything to be polite for once. And, the sooner the conversation got back to 'normal' topics, the better.

"I am glad you feel that way, Kaname. Would you like to learn about the origin of the word _'Jock Strap?'_"

Ren, Maya, Ryo, and Kyouko backed their chairs away from the table.

"Don't push your luck, Sousuke." Kaname's eyes looked like they belonged on some form of demon. _"Don't push your luck!!!"_

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Kaname's trials and tribulations continued.

But, as folks soon found out, **she** was not under any type of restrictions.

Furthermore, she was more than willing to use that fact to her advantage: send a few pranksters to the infirmary, and maybe the rest would decide she was better off left alone.

Blushing, she carried the thought one step further. Maybe she could protect Sousuke the way he usually protected her---minus the noise, smoke, and destruction.

_The lights went off in one hallway. _

Kaname's halisen was in her hand before she could take another breath.

She had no trouble getting an idea of where the individuals were standing. She had developed that skill on the numerous occasions when she needed to find a concealed Sousuke, before he could do something worse than he had already done.

"**Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground and try to find oil? You're crazy! **_Drillers who Edwin Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil, 1859."_

Kaname frowned.

Her annoyance level was close to topping off already.

"**Professor Goddard does not know the relation between reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools. **_1921 New York Times editorial about Goddard's revolutionary rocket work."_

Kaname began to growl.

This was worse than Sousuke.

"**But what.......is it good for? **_Engineer at the Advanced Computing Sysytems Divison of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip."_

"_ARGGH!!! _Enough. You're _all_ going to pay!" Kaname didn't have night vision gear, but she didn't need it.

The nerds had made a serious tactical error.

The darkness had not frightened Kaname…… it had made their own escape impossible.

**WHACK! WHAM! SLAMMM!**

"Owww.... Oomph.... _MOMME-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E_."

**WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!**

"No..... No..... _N-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O_."

_The lights went back on. _

The third perpetrator started to run. He was a rabbit chased by a greyhound.

"Thank you _so_ very much. I much prefer to see whom I'm chastising." Kaname was on a mission.

**SLAMMM! WHACK! SLAMMM! WHAM! WHACK!"**

"O..... God..... Please..... _HE-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-P_."

Mission accomplished.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The Drama club members were found sticking out of drums.

The boys who had shown an unnatural affinity for fire extinguishing equipment were discovered tied up with the fire hose.

The slower members of the Art class were cut down from the trees before their rope burns had gotten too bad.

The gang in Wood Shop had pieces of wood painfully placed where wood products---_other_ _than that which came on a roll_---should never go.

For most individuals and groups, the message was quite clear. Mess with Kaname or Sousuke, and you better be willing to weather the storm. For many, that was a good reason to get back to business as usual. For others, it meant a great deal of stealth was in order: do it, but don't get caught.

One group was entirely unaffected. They had safety in numbers. Their plan for Sousuke was already in motion.

The members of the rugby squad were counting the minutes before the _Sports Day _game between their team and the one from their cross-town rivals.

Sousuke would be playing.

His current injuries meant nothing to them…… all it really meant was that he had a head start on the coming aches and pains.

It was Sousuke's own fault, when all was said and done.

Once upon a time, Kaname had tried to turn a team of wimps into a team of winners, without success. Sousuke's methods had an entirely different result. But, the Rugby Club then became a favored activity. Bigger, rougher, and nastier boys chased the meeker ones off of the team.

There were many events going on outside the school that early afternoon. Track and field. Volleyball. Softball. Soccer. Gymnastics. Feats of personal strength, coordination, and endurance.

_Most of the eyes were focused on the Rugby area._

When the Jindai team ran out, Souske limped out with them. He wore a bright yellow jersey, much different than the uniforms his teammates wore. It seems that someone wanted him to stand out.

After the bus from the other school pulled up on the lawn, the rival players disembarked.

Rather than put on the mean face they usually did, the boys all gave their opponents a big 'thumbs-up.' They all stared at Sousuke. Unbeknownst to the crowd, the Jindai squad had gathered together a fair sum of money and given it to their arch rivals.

Before Sousuke's pledge to Kaname, one thing was certain:

**THE RULES AND OBJECTIVES OF RUGBY ARE STRAIGHT FORWARD**__

All players are allowed to touch the ball, but the ball cannot be passed forward.

The ball can, on occasion be kicked forward in an attempt to gain better field position or to catch the other team unaware.

No player can shield or protect the ball carrier and by the same token the ball carrier cannot run behind his own players in an attempt to shield himself from the other team.

Once tackled the ball carrier must immediately release the ball.

There are no substitutions.

Each team starts with 15 players and the match begins with a kickoff---the ball must travel 10 yards before the kicking team can play it.

Kicking off is considered an advantage. The team that was scored upon kicks off to the team that just scored, allowing them to retain possession.

The most common technique in kicking off is a team that kicks the ball high in the air 10 yards and make a play on the ball or the player about to catch the ball.

In general, during the "loose" phase of the game, there are only two positions in rugby. Players 1-8 are forwards, often referred to as "the pack." These are the workers on the rugby pitch that are responsible for trudging through the mud, winning the ball and presenting a clean ball to the backs.

Backs (numbered 9-15) smoothly and deftly cut through the opponent's defensive line, occasionally performing a brilliant "switch" or pausing to flirt with a woman on the sideline and then score without as much as mussing up their hair.

The object of the game is to score more points than your opponents by moving the ball down field across the opponent's try line and physically touch the ball down.

Supporting the ball carrier is very important in this game, especially since the ball carrier must release the ball once tackled. When you are on the ground, you are considered a part of the ground. If a team is supporting well, once a player is tackled there should be at least 2 or 3 other players around him ready to make a play on the ball.

The first players to a ball on the ground attempt to either pick it up and secure it or try to push the other team's players away from it. At any time a player may kick the ball towards an opponents goal and try to regain possession up the pitch. This has it's advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, you gain better field position but on the negative aspect, if you do not chase down and recover the ball, you lose possession to the other team.

There are four ways to score in rugby. A try, worth 5 points, is scored when a player carries or kicks the ball over the opponent's goal line and physically touches it down.

A place kick or conversion is attempted after each try from a point directly out from where the ball was physically touched down. Hence, if a player touches the ball down in the corner of the try-zone, a place kick will be attempted from near the sideline. When successfully kicked over the bar and through the uprights, a conversion is awarded, worth two points.

The other two methods of scoring are also for kicking the ball through the uprights. Penalty goals are worth three points. A penalty situation comes about after a serious violation of the laws, and the victimized team is awarded a penalty kick from the point of the infraction.

Drop kicks can be attempted at any time during the game and a drop goal is worth 3 points

Some other things were standard as well:

**COMMON PENALTIES IN RUGBY**

_Knock-on: Hitting or dropping the ball forward with your hands. Theforward position is most noted for this lame-brained action and are typically dubbed "stone-hands"_

Forward Pass: The ball must be passed laterally or behind, never forward.

Off sides: Defensively, a player must stay behind the ball or the group of people trying to win the ball. On offense, you may not kick a ball forward to a teammate downfield ahead of the kicker.

High tackle: You will know when you see it. This tackle is often accompanied with many Oscar-winning performances put on by a back-line player trying to win favor with the referee or a promising rugby queen on the sideline.

Failure to release: The ball must be released immediately upon being tackled.

For this event, there were a number of drastic alterations:_  
_  
**MUTUALLY AGREED UPON CHANGES MADE TO THE RULES AND OBJECTIVES**

_Both teams would do whatever was possible to put the ball in Sousuke's hands._

During the 'loose' phase of the game, there would be a third position: Target. Sousuke would be the target for both teams.

The object of the game was to jump on, trample, squash, rough up, beat on, and otherwise physically abuse Sousuke in any manner imaginable.

**Scoring was purely optional.**

The first players to Sousuke would try to knock him down and assist the other team's players in reaching their objective.

Carrying Sousuke over the opponent's goal line and slamming him hard to the ground was worth 10 points.

Kicking Sousuke over the bar was worth 5 points. Just kicking him was worth 1 point.

If Sousuke was allowed to run free for more than ten yards a penalty would be assessed to the nearest team.  
  
**THERE WOULD BE FEW PENALTIES**

_'Knock-offs'---hitting Sousuke's head and sending him forward---were not only acceptable, but commendable._

High tackles were to be executed whenever and wherever possible.

Getting up off of Sousuke **before** a full pile-on was cause for a penalty kick.  
  
Needless to say, the match was not a fun one for Sousuke.

Surprisingly, a number of players on both sides began feeling a great deal of respect for Sousuke's courage and resilience. Some though he was just stupid, but most knew otherwise.

But, the boys who began to feel sorry for Sousuke did not act on their new feelings. It would have saved them a lot of pain and embarrassment if they _had_.

_They would all be tarred with the same brush._

The crowd had shown up to see a rugby match, and to see what would happen to Sousuke. The shear meanness of the match and the utter lack of sport set the onlookers to grumbling and grousing.

"That just ain't right! Sagara's giving it his best and those bastards are only out to hurt him. His own team, _too!" _One boy took a couple of steps towards the playing field.

"Yeh! They shouldn't be allowed to get away with it. Someone should jump on them and teach them a lesson." Another boy's sentiments spread like wildfire.

Before anyone knew what had happened, the entire crowd was rushing forward, murder in their eyes. Sousuke was rescued, then carried away on peoples' shoulders, the hero of the match.

_A much less pleasant fate awaited the boys in both rugby clubs._

After the offending players were pummeled and punched, they were all marched over to the side of the school.

Their clothing was confiscated, except for their jock straps. That clothing was never seen again. Someone was able to retrieve the electric razor used on Sousuke earlier. Each and every player was completely shaved, down to the very last hair. They were all then spray painted yellow…… as a sign of their great 'bravery'…… and given their jock straps back.

The crowd was in a generous mood. They gave the humbled boys a thirty second head start before they began chasing them again.

_The photographs made the evening news, worldwide._

Sousuke had begun to strip his own clothes off when Kaname headed over to see how he was. She was between games in her softball tournament.

"What are you _doing, _Sousuke? There are girls present!" She put her hand on Sousuke's arm, stopping him. "Maybe you should check in at the infirmary."

"Those are my team mates out there, Kaname. Shouldn't I be with them now?"

Kaname just shook her head.

_Only Sousuke would think that way._

"Your honor is very important to you, isn't it Sousuke?" She tried to smile, but she was worried. Was there such a thing as being too honorable?

Or, was it simply a matter of Sousuke's interpretation of what was honorable?

"Yes, Kaname. Very important. What does a man have, if he does not have honor?"

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

After school, Kaname accompanied Sousuke downtown.

Even though he claimed that he was doing fine, the school nurse had insisted that he get a pair of crutches and an orthopedic pillow. As a man of his word, he would do so.

_He had no intention of using them, however._

Kaname was strangely quiet. If Sousuke noticed, he gave no indication.

Block after block passed.

Sousuke's limp drove a nail deeper into Kaname's heart with each step that he took. When he occasionally stopped and put a hand to his side, her heart jumped up into her throat. Tears came to her eyes when he would grab hold of a light post or the side of a building to help stretch his tight back muscles.

For once, she marveled at Sousuke's silence. He didn't moan once. She did not hear a single whimper or sucked-in breath. He just kept marching along, unimpeded. It was what he did.

_It was what he had always done._

When they were across the street from one of the larger banks in the city, an alarm went off.

"Move into cover Kaname, in case there is an exchange of gunfire." Sousuke looked around to see if there were any law enforcement officers in view.

"Sousuke, what is it?" Kaname had her own suspicion.

"Most likely a bank robbery. That sedan over there has its motor idling. The driver keeps checking in his mirrors. He has a cellular phone out. The box on his dashboard is likely a police scanner."

There was an explosion inside the bank. Windows blew out. The sound of gunfire followed.

"That may have been the vault blowing, or an accidental mishandling of explosives. The robbers are probably suppressing the bank guards."

"Sousuke! People are probably getting hurt in there. They may be dying. Isn't there anything you can do? You've helped out that way _before_...." Kaname was pale.

She could picture herself trapped in a situation like that.

"No, Kaname. Not today. That is the police force's job. If they cannot arrive on scene in a timely manner, it is not my responsibility. Besides, you know I cannot."

_"What?" _Kaname was incredulous.

"The promise, Kaname."

"But... but... peoples' _lives_, Sousuke!" She grabbed Sousuke's arm and began to shake him.

"Their lives would be in danger if I were not standing here Kaname. You have tried to teach me not to make every problem my problem. It is a wise lesson, I think. Furthermore, if I was allowed to do my _'otaku thing,' _as you have named it, I would have my gun out to protect you now. As it is, I am unarmed. I suggest we leave this vicinity as quickly as possible. "

Kaname grew very angry, ready to strike Sousuke. But, the words rang true.

_Sousuke was right._

"Yes, Sousuke." Her anger drained out of her.

"Once you are safe, I will return."

"Sousuke? _Why??? _You said...." Kaname looked frightened.

"There...." Sousuke pointed to the front of the bank just as they were about to pass out of view of the building by rounding a corner.

The getaway car took off, its engine whining. Close behind, a number of police cars arrived on the scene and gave chase.

"That car is a decoy. There are no passengers in it. The police have fallen for the misdirection. Those men leaving the bank now---the ones with briefcases, trying to look like businessmen---they are likely the perpetrators. I will need your cellular phone, Kaname."

Sousuke crossed the street.

"Go home Kaname. I will purchase my supplies after I have done what I am allowed to do."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

When it was time for bed that night, Kaname had trouble falling asleep.

'What I am allowed to do.'

_'What I am allowed to do.'_

**'What I am allowed to do.'**

**_'What I am allowed to do.'_**

The words kept echoing in her head. Sousuke was fine, having called her when he got home safely. But, she had been watching the evening news and had seen the piece about the bank robbery.

There were a large number of deaths and less serious injuries. The bank robbers had been caught thanks to the actions of a bold but anonymous citizen, but there would be a number of families grieving that night.

_Was some of that her fault?_

If he hadn't given his word, would Sousuke have gone in to the Bank? Could he have made a difference, if he had been so inclined? Might he have been able to save lives?

Those were difficult thoughts, doubly so since they carried a burden of potential guilt. But, were they fair? It wasn't Sousuke's duty, after all. He had no business rushing into a crime scene.

But, wasn't that what he did for Mithril in a broader sense?

If she had gotten Sousuke to start thinking about limitations, that would be wonderful for her.

_But, was it also a good thing for everybody else?_


	7. Chapter 7

**FRIDAY**

Kaname was in quite a tizzy.

Sousuke had not done anything otaku. He hadn't broken his promise.

No one else had done anything untoward either. Even though there was time left in Sousuke's pledge, the other students hadn't done anything to him or to her this morning.

It was the school dance.

_The School Dance._

**_The _School Dance.**

The Dance was a big deal. She had put a lot of effort and hard work into making it happen. There had been food to order…….. decorations to arrange……… a band to hire……… etc. etc.

_That was the easy part._

What would she do about a date? Despite her rather explosive tendencies over the past day or so, Kaname had received a number of written invitations from a group of brave and intrepid boys.

She couldn't remember the last time she had seen so many notes in her locker at a single time……… and, not a single one was burned, blown up, or otherwise rendered unreadable.

A karate guy.

The captain of the soccer team.

Two members of the swim team.

Someone from the debating team.

Even a rugby player and a nerd.

Kaname kept shuffling through the notes again and again, as if she was looking for one that had gotten lost. She consciously caught herself doing that, and brought it to an end.

_Why was she thinking about Sousuke.? _

What made her think he might ever send her a note? Did she even want him too? Of course not! She saw way too much of that otaku as it was.

"**HMMPPFF! **_Big idiot!" _She huffed, verbalizing her thoughts.

"Kaname, are you OK? You sound upset." It was Kyouko.

"Of _course_ I'm OK, Ky. Why would I be upset. It's the big day...." Kaname tried to look nonchalant.

"Didn't get an invitation from Sousuke, _did_ you?" Kyouko smiled.

"No. The _jerk!" _Kaname looked crossly at her friend.

_She had done it to her again._

"Are you going to choose from one of them?" Kyouko pointed at the note paper crumpled up in Kaname's clenched fist.

"I don't know, Ky. I don't know...." Kaname sighed.

"You know, you _could_ ask Sousuke. He may not know any better. Did they even have dances where he came from last?" Kyouko had a good point.

"I know. But I'm not sure I would even _want_ to go with him, Ky." It was the truth. She often found herself confused about her feelings for Sousuke.

"Well, I'll see you there in any case. Do you have a nice new dress picked out?" Kyouko grinned. It was not a question of _'if.' _It was a matter of _'how many.'_

Kaname held up her hand. Three fingers were showing. That was another decision she had to make.

She shook her head violently when Kyouko went about her business. Why did she keep wondering which dress Sousuke might prefer. Did he even notice whenever she wore a dress?

Probably……… it must have some kind of strategic value to him in planning out his surveillance and defense.

_Freed of such necessities today, would he see her any differently?_

"WILL KANAME CHIDORI PLEASE REPORT TO THE LOADING BAY. YOU HAVE A DELIVERY."

Kaname would have to worry about dates later. One of the trucks must have arrived. It was a bit early for the caterer. Perhaps the band had come ahead of schedule, wanting to check out the venue they would be playing.

_It was neither._

"Miss Chidori?" The speaker was a bald man with a large scar running from his eye to his jaw. He held a large clipboard.

"Yes. That's me. Do you have a delivery?" Kaname looked over at the plain white truck. There were no markings that gave her any clues.

"No. A pick-up." He took a pistol out from under the clipboard. "Get in the back of the truck quietly. That's a nice outfit. I'd hate to get any blood on it." He signaled to his comrades.

One malodorous man took a struggling Kaname by her arms. A hirsute man took her feet. With no sign of kindness, they tossed her in the back of the truck and closed the rear doors.

_"LET ME OUT, YOU BASTARDS!" _Kaname banged on the doors to no effect. "**HELP!!!**"

No one heard her. The inside of the truck was lined by layer upon layer of sound dampening foam and rubber.

"Sousuke...." she said in a whisper.

_Where was Sousuke?_

Even if he was unable to act, he often made it a point to keep an eye on her. Why wasn't he here? He could have rescued her!!!

Kaname's heart sank.

Even if Sousuke were here, he'd only be in danger. He had made such a big deal about keeping his promise. His honor seemed more important to him than anything else.  
_  
That damn promise. _

It made things worse, not better. She never should have tried to change Sousuke that much. At least, not all at once.

She thought about 'bad.' She thought about 'worse.' Why were they after _her. _Was it because she was Whispered? Could it be that maniac again, or someone he worked for?

No, _he_ had been blown up by Sousuke.

That was scant comfort to her, speeding down the highway to who knows where, and for who knows what reason.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The kidnappers had not seen Sousuke.

Neither had Kaname.

Moving quickly, he had snuck outside..... rolled under the truck..... attached a magnetic tracking device..... and rolled back out again.

A quick check on his receiver showed that everything was functional.

Hiding out in one of the secluded areas of the boiler room, Sousuke removed his short wave radio set from its place of concealment.

"_Urzu 7 _calling Danaan, do you read. Over. _Urzu 7 _calling Danaan, please answer."

A reply came after a number of minutes.

"_Urzu 7_, I read you. What is your situation?" It was Captain Testarossa,

"Captain……… **_the bird has flown_**."

"I see. So our plan worked after all. Mr. Kalinin was right." Sousuke had called Tessa and Kalinin after he made his promise.

_It had been the proper thing to do. _

He had also wanted to know if they had any concerns about Kaname's safety.

"Yes, Captain. Should I proceed as planned?"

"Yes, Sgt. Sagara. You will have whatever back-up you need." There was a slight pause. "Be careful, Sousuke."

"I will, Captain. _Urzu 7 _out."

Sousuke headed off to a rendezvous point.

Kurz would be waiting with a vehicle: whatever car or truck had been the easiest to 'borrow.'

Melissa would be on the move in her M9.

When Sousuke made it to the rendezvous, he found the ebullient blonde-haired Sgt. Waiting for him.

"Well, Sousuke old chum, it looks like you get to play the knight in shining armor again!" Kurz was in his eternal good mood. "Do you want to know what _really_ happened in those fairy tales."

"No."

"_Good! _When the knight rescues the damsel in distress from a dragon, ogre, or some evil black knight, she doesn't just give him some fancy ribbon to wrap around his arm." Kurz smiled, seeing the disgruntled look on Sousuke face. "Have I tweaked your interest yet?"

"No." Sousuke swallowed hard.

"_Oh yeh! _She usually starts by giving him a stocking or two. After that, her petticoat or gown. They had a lot of clasps and buttons and things. It just meant they were all the more eager by the time they got down to bare skin." Kurz took a drink from a soda bottle and pressed the accelerator to the floor. "You know what happens next, right?"

"Uh...." Sousuke was sweating.

"_Exactomundo_. A lot of sweating, grunting, moaning, and shouting for more. Just like with me and Mao!" Kurz sped between a narrow opening in the traffic. "If she was here, she'd be reliving some hot and steamy memories."

"_Urzu 2 _to _Urzu 6_, over." It was Melissa. Kurz turned up the volume on the portable communicator.

"We're here, babe." Kurz gave Melissa an idea of their current position.

"Sousuke, can you hear me?" Melissa asked after she had gotten all the information she needed, and had given the orders she needed to give.

"Affirmative, Sgt. Major."

"Is that asshole Kurz giving you any trouble, sergeant?"

Sousuke didn't answer.

_That was answer enough for Mao._

"I see. It's too bad I'm not with you now." Melissa's knuckles could be heard crackling over the open channel.

"Sgt. Weber expressed the same thought. Something about moaning, shouting, sweating..... and _you, _Sgt. Major."

Kurz took both hands off the wheel and plastered them over Sousuke's mouth.

It was too late.

_The damage was already done._

"We can't worry about that now." Melissa sounded stern and authoritative.

Kurz let out a large breath after hearing that.

"You two get to Kaname's location..... report in what you find..... and wait for further orders. Let's get this thing done quickly, boys. We don't want to miss the funeral." Melissa chuckled.

_"Funeral?" _Sousuke sounded confused. "The idea is to rescue Miss Chidori _alive_, is it not?"

"Of course, Sousuke. It's for someone else we all know. Ask Kurz."

_Kurz was sweating heavily._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Kaname was manhandled roughly into a Bait and Tackle shop at the edge of a dirty and run down old pier.

She was thrown hard upon a stack of coiled rope, boots, and soiled rags.

"I hope you decide to be troublesome," a large tattooed man said with a near toothless grin. He had a large knife in one hand. "We might want to do some fishing on the way out. If you don't give us what we need, at least we will have us a whole _lotta _chum!"

Kaname tried to burrow under the rope.

"Kanataro, _enough _of that! You know we need to keep her alive, no matter what." A man with a long Fu Manchu mustache was shooting a spear gun at clothing dummies.

"Awww, Mitoki. She can stay alive without any arms or legs, _can't_ she?" The man began picking his remaining teeth with the knife.

"Keep it down, you fools." The bald scarred man walked into the room after giving the surroundings a good once over. "We need to get her on board. The Captain is ready to move out. We can't afford to miss that sub."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Kurz drove them quickly across the city towards the wharf.

Sousuke sat quietly, deep in thought.

He was concerned about Kaname. They were taking an awfully big risk.

_It hadn't been his decision._

Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin had given him a rather worrisome report. The Intel Department had been picking up subtle signs that some kind of operation was in the works. All signs pointed towards Tokyo.

It wasn't too hard to guess who the target might be.

With a lot of time……… and careful planning……… any talented group of kidnappers could come up with a very good plan, one that could very well be very difficult to defend against.

But, what if a golden opportunity appeared to fall directly into their lap? Would they abandon their other plan and grab the low-hanging fruit?

If Mithril could sucker them into acting prematurely. The mercenary group might be able to clean things up without too much trouble.

_What did they have to lose?_

They could lose Kaname.

Sousuke knew that she would have been in danger from her kidnappers any way; but, he still felt as if he had set her up.

After all of his talk and show about honor, he felt like a deceiver and a cad. He really would have acted pretty much the same, had he not called in to report his pledge. But, he never would have let human lives take a back seat to his promise.

He felt guilty about the bank.

It had been hard taking that beating at the hands of those gangsters.

But there had been no choice but to behave the way he had. There had been little doubt that word of his situation……… and his subsequent actions under his pledge……… would make it to certain people.

_That was the whole idea. _

If the right individuals thought that Sgt. Sousuke Sagara was out of the picture, their task would be so much easier.

The time limit of one week would also allow Mithril to assign time-sensitive resources appropriately.

Sousuke guessed that there had been good things that came from his deception.

He had learned a lesson about 'normal' students, and how they might feel. He had seen the good and the bad in his classmate's feelings for him and Kaname. He had learned a little something more about the blue-haired girl as well.

"Over there! They should have driven it off of the wharf and into the sea. That's the truck." Sousuke had spotted the vehicle.

The two of them had been brought to the general vicinity by the tracking device he had planted.

"Oh yeh! It's time to get happy. I'll call Sis."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The freighter 'Ataturk' out of Gazipasa was a smallish ship.

It was heavily rusted, and the decks were awash with refuse and loose cargo…….. not the type of ship most people would turn a suspicious eye towards. However, if they looked beneath the filth, and under the seemingly haphazard arrangement of tarps and coverings, they might be somewhat surprised.

_The ship was a Trojan Horse of sorts. _

It has equipped with oversize engines, the most sophisticated nautical equipment available, and a staggering amount of firepower. Her crew was a hard-boiled group of sailors and salty tars, just one step removed from brigands and cutthroats.

The idea was to sneak out unsuspected. They did not want any reason to fight. But if they had to, they would make someone pay dearly.

"I don't want to go up there!" Kaname shouted when they dragged he towards the wooden gangplank. "Let... _me_... **_go!!!_**"

"No chance in Hell, missy!" The bald man was still laughing when his head exploded.

_Score one for Kurz._

"What the f-ck? We've been screwed. Kill that bitch and make a run for it!" The man with a mustache clutched his chest. Blood fountained out of his mouth.

Kurz had struck again.

Either the third man was incredibly stupid, or he had a greater desire to inflict pain than he did to survive. Grinning like a moron, he pulled Kaname behind a large stack of crates, out of view. He raised his knife over Kaname's head.

_Something black flashed out of nowhere. _

The man's grasp on Kaname's wrist was gone. There was no sign of the man. A loud gurgling cry of pain came from inside a nearby shanty.

Kaname wanted to run, but she didn't know where.

Were the unseen men her rescuers? Or, where they a rival gang or group after the same prize?

_Her! _

She didn't have time to decide. The crates disintegrated, hit by a buzzing swarm of projectiles. She watched in horror as a large section of planks began jumping off of the wharf. The trail was headed straight towards her.

Someone grabbed Kaname and moved, just fire from the _Black Market _multi-barrel gun passed through the spot she had been standing on.

"We need to move, Kaname. This area is not safe. That ship will come under considerable attack soon."

Kaname blinked twice and rubbed her eyes.

It was Sousuke!

_Sousuke dressed in his usual combat gear._

"Sousuke...."

"There's no time. **Move!**" He dragged her roughly along, just as his earlier words became prophetic.

Melissa had turned off the ECS on her Arm Slave.

A well-aimed flight of missiles tore the early model Phalanx to pieces.

She next targeted a cannon that had been hidden underneath a pile of tarps. The shots from her Bofors ripped the gunners to shreds.

"But Sousuke.... your promise..... _how_....." Kaname fell hard to the ground on top of Souske when he kicked her legs out from under her.

Gunshots threw huge splinters off of the fence posts she had been running by.

"_Urzu 2_, we are under considerable sniper fire. It looks to have come from the ship's superstructure." Sousuke pulled his leg into cover just as more shots pock-marked the old wooden planks.

"I hear you Sousuke. I'm on it." Melissa had a new primary target. Before she pulled her trigger, she saw one man fall off of the high structure, soon followed by another.

_Kurz was getting his money's worth._

Two more missile streaked away from Melissa's M9. There was a massive explosion. The superstructure seemed to collapse in on itself in slow motion. More missiles followed. The ship was taking on serious damage.

Men were jumping overboard. Others ran for any and all firefighting equipment available.

_Kaname was no longer their primary concern._

"Chidori, are you hurt. Do you have any wounds?" Not waiting for an answer, Sousuke swept Kaname up into his arms and began running. He did not stop until he was back at the parking area.

Kurz had 'requisitioned' a new vehicle. He was leaning out the window, a devilish look on his face.

"That's some maiden you have there, Sir Sousuke. Are you ready for your reward?" The troublesome soldier winked.

"Uh..." Sousuke was so taken aback, he forgot to set Kaname down.

"Don't want to let go of her? I can't blame you. A girl like _that_ doesn't come around too often." Kurz laughed.

"Uh..."

The blonde driver waved his hand towards the rear of the vehicle. "Now you can see why I chose a _full length _van. You two ought to have plenty of room back there. Heh heh _heh-h-h-h…."_

"Uh..."

Kaname's shock was wearing off. She did _not_ liked to be talked about as if she wasn't even there.

"Sousuke, are you going to keep your hand on my butt all night?"

There was no trace of humor in Kaname's voice.

"Kaname!"

Souske dropped her hard onto the ground.

"Sousuke! That hurt! You _moron!" _

Kaname was close to being her old self again.

"Weber, you horse's ass! What are you still _doing_ here? Get Kaname out, **now!!!**" Melissa's M9 seemed to vanish into thin air when she reactivated its active camouflage system

"All aboard the Love Machine, boys and girls. Knights and their ladies to the rear, please."

Kurz was laughing.

As Sousuke went to open the rear of the van, Kaname had different plans. Seeing a bunch of see gulls fighting over some form of stinking fish carcass, she shooed away the birds and picked up the disgusting mess.

She rubbed it all over Kurz' hair.

"**HMMPPFF!!! **_You_ got it easy. Wait until I deal with Sousuke."

"It's good to have you back...." Kurz said, wincing.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Bouncing around in the back of the van, Kaname was hugging her knees close to her.

She kept staring at Sousuke's outfit and his weapons bag.

_There was no way he would have had time to run home and get them. _

Did Kurz or Melissa bring a spare set with them, or had Sousuke been expecting something like this to happen?

"Sousuke...."

"Yes, Kaname?"

"I think you owe me an explanation." Kaname looked Sousuke directly in the eyes.

"Explanation, Kaname?"

Kaname scowled and remained silent. Her one hand gripped her pants leg tightly.

Sousuke knew that his usual response was inappropriate. He decided he would be completely truthful with her.

_He owed her that much._

"Yes." Sousuke rubbed his hand through his hair. "The promise was real, Kaname. However, there were details you did _not_ know about."

"Obviously." Kaname sounded very sour.

She had just escaped by the skin of her teeth.

_Again. _

Sousuke had gone military.

_Again. _

Before the end of the week!!!

The dance was under way.

They probably wouldn't let her attend it until they were sure she was safe.

_Why did these things always happen to her?_

Sousuke went on to describe the details behind the plan.

"You went through a lot to preserve your lie," Kaname said bitterly.

"Lie, Kaname?"

"You never intended to keep your promise entirely, _did _you? You were just using me. Even if it was for my own good Sousuke, that _hurts_. It hurts more than an otaku like you could _possibly_ understand."

Kaname looked away from him.

"No, Kaname. You are quite incorrect. If you had not been kidnapped, I would have kept my promise, no matter _what_ anyone else did to me…… or to you. That is……" Sousuke stopped a moment.

The adrenaline was still keeping him on edge.

_It was harder to keep his usual composure._

"Thinking up _another_ good lie, soldier?" Kaname's voice was low and nasty.

"No. If you were in real danger from those gangsters, I would have disobeyed my orders. If our classmates were going to violate you or seriously injure you, I would have aborted the mission. It would have gotten me in serious trouble. _But_..…." Sousuke went quiet.

_It was his turn to look away._

"You would have done that for me?" Kaname's face softened.

She wasn't certain what she was hearing.

"I... uh..." Sousuke ran his hand through his hair again. "It would not make any sense to allow you to get hurt, Kaname. After all, the goal of the mission was to maintain your well-being. Naturally, when they thought about it, my superiors would see the logic of my actions."

"I see. Logic. Do you _really _believe that Sousuke?" Kaname looked over at him.

"Uh..."

"Sousuke?" Kaname smiled.

'_Uh' _was actually a good answer.

"Errr..."

"Take your time." Kaname tried to stop smiling.

"Ummm..."

"Does _'Ummm' _mean 'Yes,' Sousuke?" Kaname fought to keep from laughing.

"Negative. _'Ummm' _means 'Ummm,' and _'Yes' _or _'Affirmative' _mean 'Yes.'" Sousuke used his sleeve to mop the sweat off of his brow.

"So, what you were trying to say was that you were…… worried…… about me. You…… _cared_…… about me. You wouldn't let anything happen to me…… even if it got you in trouble." Kaname allowed herself to smile.

_Sousuke was trapped._

"I did not use such words, Kaname."

"Souske!"

"Uh..."

"**SOUSUKE!!!**"

Kaname stood up, banged her head on the van roof, then sat back down hard. The look on her face prompted Sousuke's answer more than her shout did.

"Affirmative."

_No one spoke for a while. _

Kaname wasn't certain exactly what she was feeling. Sousuke wondered if he had somehow broken some form of rule after all.

Kaname sighed. She put her head in her hands.

"Are you OK, Kaname? Do you need medical attention? I forget how strong you are. I should have asked you before. It is my mistake...."

"No, Sousuke. It's not _that_. You didn't do any thing wrong." Kaname leaned her head back against a rear panel of the van. "It's the dance, Sousuke."

"Dance, Kaname?"

"Yes, Sousuke. _The_ Dance. You knew there was one tonight, _didn't_ you. Had you asked someone?"

Kaname bit her lip.

_Why did that last question slip out._

"I was aware, Kaname. I would not have been there, however."

"O, I see." Kaname's voice faded.

"I do not understand dances, Kaanme. No one has taught me about them yet. Their purpose escapes me." Sousuke's voice was flat, unemotional. "Please do not get angry again, Kaname. I would have left you at the dance, purposely unwatched. It would have been a good opportunity for the kidnappers to abduct you, had they not acted earlier."

"Ah." Kaname nodded her head. It made good tactical and strategic sense. "If there had been no mission, what would you have done, Sousuke?"

"I would have gone and stood in a corner, Kaname. To keep an eye on you."

"Of course. I should have known. You can dress an otaku up, but you can't make him dance."

Kaname chided herself.

That had been unkind.

Sousuke had told her about his life. When had there been time for dancing? Sleeping with the dogs in Afghanistan? Awaiting possible court martial after Guatemala?

Souske didn't speak. He simply leaned back against the van wall near Kaname and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sousuke."

"Why, Kaname? What you spoke was the truth. " His eyes remained tightly shut.

Kaname put her hand on his and gave it a brief squeeze.

"It was unkind just the same. You don't deserve that. Sometimes I forget what you told me. I was confused once, Sousuke. I was lost with no idea what to do."

"Kaname?" Sousuke opened his eyes and tilted his head a bit.

"When I first landed in America. And, after returning here, used to the life over there. It took me a while to find my way too, Sousuke. I don't have any reason to feel bad about that. Either do you." Kaname wiped a tear from her eye.

_It was quiet again for a while after that._

"Kaname? You worked very hard to arrange that dance, did you not. I remember you speaking with many people about it."

"Yes, Sousuke." Kaname sighed.

"It is very important for girls to go to dances? Even when it is not their responsibility?"

"Yes. Affirmative, Sousuke." She sighed again.

"We should tell Sgt. Weber to take us there. It would probably be safe, especially if he waited outside. We can go to our debriefing later. You should _not_ miss your dance, Kaname."

"**What?!**" Kaname sat straight up.

"The dance. If I can arrange it, do you still wish to go?"

"Yes. Are _you_ asking me to the dance, Sousuke?" Kaname's stare was intense.

"Uh. I was just...."

"It sure _sounded_ like you were asking me to the dance Sousuke." She smiled at his sudden discomfort.

"But. I was merely...."

"In any case, that's how I chose to see it! I _accept_, Sousuke. Tell Kurz."

"Uh..."

"**_NOW, SOLDIER!_**"

"Sir, yes sir!"

After Sousuke got back from talking with Kurz through the divider, he informed Kaname that they were now headed for Jindai High.

If need be, Kurz would lie, saying they got lost.... were chased by police seeking the stolen van.... _whatever._

"That's wonderful Sousuke. I'm so happy. I will even overlook your terrible acts of dishonesty."

"Uh...."

"I will also _let you _escort me to the dance."

"Uh..."

"But, while we wait to get there, you can answer some questions for me." Kaname smiled devilishly.

"Kaname?"

"What was Kurz talking about there earlier. Something about a maiden and Sir Sousuke?" Kaname felt an evil sense of satisfaction as Sousuke looked to see if the van doors would open from the inside.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The dance had gone very well.

Everyone complemented Kaname on the arrangements.

_After she and Sousuke had arrived, it had been a wonderful evening.  
_  
The amazing Kurz Weber had lived up to his name.

He always kept a dress jacket and a tie in his weapon bag. Kaname was going to seriously suggest that Sousuke start doing the same.

The blonde-haired soldier took a perch up on the roof with his sniper rifle. There wouldn't be a safer dance in all of Tokyo.

_But, that was only because Sousuke's promise was still in effect._

The dress coat and tie worn over his combat outfit, Sousuke was an exotic sight.

At first, Kaname thought it was cute. No, _amusing. _

But, the bold look caught the eye of a large number of other girls. It seemed that an endless line of young ladies wanted to teach Sousuke how to dance.

_Kaname was no longer amused._

"Sousuke, let me get one thing straight. You will not learn to dance from anyone but **me**. Consider that an order!"

Kaname shocked herself.

_Just what was she doing?_

"Kaname, the promise is still active. Orders are a military thing."

"**SOUSUKE!!!**"

"Yes, Kaname. By your command."

Sousuke perspired heavily. He was obviously very uncomfortable. Kaname noticed. It made her very happy.

"You are a very good athlete, Sousuke. And your reactions are amazing. You will make a great dance partner." Kaname laughed at the look on his face.

"If you say so, Kaname."

"Here, take my hands. I like this song. Let's try some things together." She grabbed Sousuke's hands before he could hide them behind his back.

"We are……… _touching_……… Kaname..." Sousuke's eyes were wide.

"Yes, Sousuke. You noticed that, did you?" Kaname's laugh was audible over the pulsing beat of the music.

"Uh..."

"Are you uncomfortable, Sousuke?" Kaname's smile grew larger.

"Uh..."

"Or do you find the dancing fun?" She squeezed his hands tighter.

"Uh..."

"Wait until we get to learn slow dancing." She let go of Sousuke's hands and stepped closer to him.

"Slow dancing, Kaname?"

She whispered in his ear, telling him what that entailed. Seeing him blush, she whispered some more.

"Are you OK, Sousuke? Do you need medical attention? I forget how strong you are. You could easily be hiding a serious injury. I should have asked you before. It is my mistake...." The Cheshire Cat would feel jealous seeing that grin.

"Uh..."

_That was exactly what Kaname was hoping to hear._


	8. Chapter 8

**MONDAY**

The weekend had gone off without a hitch for both Sousuke and Kaname.

The young soldier was never faced with any situation that would require him to break his vow again.

The young lady spent a large part of Saturday replaying the events of the dance in her mind. The next day, she though up countless reasons why it had **_not_** meant anything.

When they both made there way to school on Monday, there were a number of surprises waiting.

The students had taken up a collection, and had visited an engraver.

They had a medal made for Sousuke, in honor of his valiant efforts. He deserved it. They also hoped that it would touch Sousuke's heart.

_Maybe he would refrain from going back to his old ways._

The second surprise was even more significant. The Principal called an unscheduled gathering of the entire student body in the auditorium.

"It came to my attention early on, just what had been going on in the school over the past week." The Principal moved his gaze from seat to seat, seemingly intent on making eye contact with every student. "I must say that a number of teachers did not set a very good example for the students, but they have been spoken with."

A number of teachers tried to sneak out of the doors.

They were restrained by their fellows.

"Other teachers were rightfully concerned. They wanted me to put a stop to all of the pranks. They thought I should act to curtail all of the other signs of poor character."

Some students looked defiant.

Others hung their heads, feeling guilty.

"But, as long as no one was seriously injured, I was content to let things continue. It was not as if the young man in question had not earned some of the response he got...."

The Principal nodded towards Sousuke.

"...But, more importantly, I thought it might serve as a good lesson for him, and for the rest of you. I would be very surprised if you have not learned good and bad things about yourselves and your fellow students."

Some people had trouble making eye contact with their classmates.

_A lot of people glared at the members of the Rugby Club._

"I hope that the lessons you have learned over that week will serve you well in the future. I will leave you to your own private thoughts over such matters. For now, I wish to move on to something of a celebratory nature. An _award. _Mr. Sagara, will you please stand."

Sousuke did as he was ordered.

"I know the two of us have had our differences. I know you and _about everyone else in the school_ have had differences."

Somebody yelled out:

"**HELL YES!!!**"

It was Kaname.

"But, I must say I am very impressed by the character it took to keep your word, especially given some of the situations you found yourself in. You should be very proud of yourself. I believe we _all _owe you a round of applause."

The entire class……… with the exception of the Rugby Squad, Shirai, and a couple of other malcontents……… gave Sousuke a standing ovation.

"Now, Mr. Sagara. I would like you to join me up on stage."

The principal took a towel off of a large golden trophy.

Sousuke headed up the stairs. Everyone went dead quiet. They had good reason to.

Some students sat uneasy in their seats.

"It is with great honor that I present to you this magnificent trophy of my own design. I hope you treasure it as you should, and use it as a reminder of the respect and good wishes you win from all of us when you are under your best behavior. Another round of applause, please."

The room remained quiet.

The Principal was perplexed.

"I am very grateful," Sousuke said. "But, I must regretfully decline the honor."

"But, _why?" _The Prinicipal took the pad of paper that Sousuke handed her and began flipping though the pages.

_Sousuke had carried his weapons bag up on stage with him._

Kaname shook her fist at him.

He waved back. Then, he spoke.

"For the first award today, I shall mention the Rugby Club."

Sousuke pulled the pin on one of the dozen concussion grenades he had poured out at his feet.

**THE END **


End file.
